Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA ó These are not the old Atlanta Hawks anymore.
No, this young group of high-flying Hawks sure seems headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 1998-99 season. They hold a 3 1/2-game lead over Indiana for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Joe Johnson scored 22 points, Josh Smith added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the Hawks built a big lead and held off the Philadelphia 76ers 92-85 on Saturday night.
Marvin Williams contributed 18 points for the Hawks (36-41).
Atlanta’s 36th win was its most since accumulating 50 in the 1997-98 season.
Magic 101, Cavaliers 86
CLEVELAND ó Hedo Turkoglu scored 23 points, Rashard Lewis added 21 and Orlando locked up the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 playoff seed.
The Magic held Cleveland to 14 points in the fourth quarter and didn’t let Cavaliers superstar LeBron James get his first points of the period until there was 1:48 left. James, who has been bothered by back spasms, finished with 17 points.
Nets 99, Raptors 90
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ó Vince Carter scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half and New Jersey beat struggling Toronto, snapping a four-game losing streak and keeping its faint playoff hopes alive.
Wizards 99, Bulls 87
CHICAGO ó Brendan Haywood scored a career-high 25 points, Caron Butler added 18 and the short-handed Washington Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 99-87.
Antawn Jamison missed his second straight game with a sprained right shoulder and Gilbert Arenas rested his surgically repaired left knee for precautionary reasons but Haywood and Butler took up the slack.
Kings 118, Nuggets 115
DENVER ó Kevin Martin scored 36 points despite missing Sacramento’s shootaround with the stomach flu, and the Kings dealt a blow to the Denver Nuggets’ playoff plans with a surprising 118-115 win at the Pepsi Center.