Hawks Surge By Fading Hornets

The Atlanta Hawks are discovering that losing top scorer Steve Smith doesn't necessarily mean losing their winning edge.

Mookie Blaylock had 13 points and eight assists and the surging Atlanta Hawks improved to 3-0 since Smith went down with a knee injury by defeating the fading Charlotte Hornets for the second straight day with a 77-71 win on Monday.

"That's real gutsy by the team. Everybody's stepping up and making plays," Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens said. "When Steve comes back, this will make us that much stronger."

Reserve forward Roshown McLeod added 13 points and Dikembe Mutombo had 11 points and 14 rebounds as Atlanta won for the eighth time in 10 games.

"A lot of younger guys are getting the opportunity to play together, and we're trying to make the most of it," said McLeod, the former Duke star and the Hawks' first-round pick in last year's draft. "It's good to see guys stepping up, because that's what it's going to take for us to win in the playoffs."

The Hawks, who came in holding opponents to an NBA-low 84 points per game, limited the Hornets to their lowest total in almost a month.

Charlotte, held to 10-for-34 shooting (29 percent) in the second half, lost its fifth game in a row, further damaging the Hornets' hopes of rallying to qualify for the playoffs in the final 18 games of the regular season.

"I guess we're going to have to go on an 18-game winning streak," said Eddie Jones, who tied a Charlotte franchise record with seven steals but missed 11 of his 15 field-goal attempts.

The Hornets already were without starting forward Bobby Phills, who sat out his sixth consecutive game to rest a pulled groin, and they had to play the second half without forward Derrick Coleman. He scored 10 points before leaving with a twisted left ankle late in the second quarter.

"There is some frustration on the team because we're just not winning," Coach Paul Silas said. "With all the players missing, this team is fragile. Bobby will be back Wednesday and that should help a lot."

David Wesley led Charlotte with 18 points but missed three of his last four shots and had ballhandling troubles late in the game, helping the Hawks to their seventh consecutive regular-season victory over the Hornets.

Wesley, held to six points in 30 minutes Sunday in Atlanta, had 15 points by halftime Monday night on 6-for-8 shooting, helping the Hornets to a 39-38 lead at the break.

But the Hornets missed their first six field-goal attempts in the third quarter and 13 of 17 in the period, clearing the way for Atlanta to take a 60-56 lead into the fourth.

After the Hawks built their lead to 74-62 on Grant Long's jumper from the left wing with 5:01 remaining, Charlotte was unable to get closer than the final margin.

Notes: Atlanta's Jeff Sheppard, making his second start in place of Smith, had eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Sheppard had just 14 points the entire season before Monday night. ... Wilkens has a record of 32-12 against the Hornets. His victory total is the highest ever by any of Charlotte's opposing coaches. ... The Hornets have lost four in a row at home. ... Atlanta won the season series 3-0.

©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed