Losing streak over

[HMFFL]

"My determination took over more than anything," Johnson said. "And my teammates, they've been doing a great job these past few games. It was just time for me to step up and make plays. Every chance I got, I was just trying to attack. I shot 14 free throws, so that's always a good sign."

Time after time in the fourth quarter, with the Cavaliers gaining momentum, Johnson beat them back with clutch shots, none bigger than his driving layup with 1:25 to play that pushed the Hawks' lead to a commanding 79-72 with a chance to finish things off at the free-throw line.

"I told you," smiling Hawks forward Marvin Williams said afterward. "I told you Joe was a pro and an All-Star. I knew he'd find his groove."

"Every little play they made killed us, even when we made a run," James said. "We played hard, but we didn't play well enough to win. We made too many mistakes. My mind-set is always the same, which is to try and make plays and help my team win. When you're down so many points sometimes, no matter how many plays you make, if the other team can make one play, it's going to kill you. That kind of took the steam out of us."

Johnson's return to form, which was as important to the Hawks as snapping their losing skid, was the key.

"We got him back now," said rookie center Al Horford, who tied a career high with 15 rebounds and was one of five Hawks to score in double figures. "We know we're going to have a better chance to win games. The streaks, winning and losing, those sorts of things happen. But getting Joe back was most important."

Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who praised his team's four-quarter defense, couldn't agree more.

"Joe is an All-Star, he's our guy," Woodson said. "He's supposed to step up and make plays. And I thought he did that when we really needed it most."

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