ATLANTA (AP) -Josh Smith scored 22 points, rookie Al Horford led a dominant performance on the boards and the Atlanta Hawks beat another 60-win team from last season, holding off Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns 105-96 Wednesday night.
The Hawks, who haven’t made the playoffs since 1999, got back to .500 in a brutal opening stretch of games and added to their opening-night win over Dallas.
Atlanta led throughout the second half, but the Suns were right there when Nash drove for a basket with 4:42 remaining. Marvin Williams, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds, responded by hitting back-to-back jumpers, keeping Phoenix from mounting a comeback.
Nash scored 34 points but Shawn Marion, with 20, was the only other significant offensive contributor. The Suns played their third straight game without Amare Stoudemire, who sat out because of a sore knee.
Celtics 119, Nuggets 93
BOSTON (AP) – Paul Pierce scored 26 points, Kevin Garnett added 23 points and 13 rebounds, and the Celtics shot 72 percent during an overpowering first half en route to a victory over the Nuggets.
Boston improved to 3-0 overall and has beaten its two opponents at home this season by an average of 24 points. Ray Allen scored 22 points and is shooting 63 percent since joining the Celtics.
Allen Iverson led the Nuggets with 22 points.
Spurs 88, Heat 78
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, Tony Parker added 23, and the Spurs kept the Heat winless.
Ginobili hit four of the Spurs’ seven 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the third quarter, after San Antonio led by only one at halftime.
Tim Duncan scored 12 points and Francisco Elson had 12 points and 14 rebounds for San Antonio. Parker had eight assists and Duncan grabbed eight rebounds.
The Heat, still without a recovering Dwyane Wade, are now 0-4. The Spurs bounced back from their first loss of the season Tuesday night in Houston.
Shaquille O’Neal led the Heat with 17 points.
76ers 94, Bobcats 63
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Andre Iguodala scored 19 points, Willie Green had 14 and the 76ers jumped on Charlotte early and never let up in a win, sending the Bobcats back to .500 after a brief undefeated streak.
The Bobcats played without point guard Raymond Felton after he hurt his left knee a night earlier against Phoenix. Without the speedy Felton leading Charlotte’s up-tempo offense, the Bobcats flopped from the start.
Charlotte started 2-0 making it the first time the fourth-year team had ever been two games above .500 at any point. Matt Carroll scored 16 points, Emeka Okafor had 11 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bobcats had 29 turnovers.
Magic 105, Raptors 96
TORONTO (AP) – Hedo Turkoglu had 24 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, Rashard Lewis scored 24 points, and the Magic beat the Raptors.
Keith Bogans had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Dwight Howard added 17 points.
One night after he failed to make a field goal for just the second time in his NBA career, Toronto’s Chris Bosh scored 26 points, going 6-for-15 from the floor and making all 14 of his free throw attempts. Bosh also had 10 rebounds.
Andrea Bargnani had 16 points for Toronto, while T.J. Ford had 12 points and eight assists.
Clippers 104, Pacers 89
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Sam Cassell scored 35 points to lead the Clippers over the Pacers in a matchup of unbeaten teams.
Cassell was 13-for-20 from the field to tie his highest point total since he joined the Clippers in 2005.
Chris Kaman added 15 points and 22 rebounds for the Clippers (4-0).
Los Angeles guard Cuttino Mobley left the game holding his right groin with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter and did not return. Mobley scored 33 points on Tuesday night against the Bulls.
Danny Granger led Indiana with 16 points.
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