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ATLANTA, Nov. 17 (AP) -- The stands were packed, and the home team made every big shot down the stretch. Could this possibly be an Atlanta Hawks game?

Josh Smith scored 22 points, rookie Al Horford led a dominant performance on the boards and the Hawks beat another 60-win team from last season, holding off Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns 105-96 on Wednesday night.

Atlanta, which hasn't made the playoffs since 1999, got back to .500 in a brutal opening stretch of games and added to its opening-night win over Dallas. Once again, the Hawks drew a sellout crowd to watch them beat a Western Conference powerhouse.

"The atmosphere here this year is incredible,'' said Marvin Williams, one of three Hawks to put up a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. "It really gives us a boost of confidence.''

Atlanta led throughout the second half, but the Suns were right there when Nash drove for a basket with 4:42 remaining. Williams responded by hitting back-to-back jumpers when left open at the top of the key.

"I guess it was my night,'' he said.

Actually, several players came up huge. Smith sealed it in the final 2 minutes, fighting hard on the offensive boards to get a couple of chances off Joe Johnson's missed jumper. The second one rolled in, and Smith was fouled by Grant Hill.

The Atlanta forward let out a yell and slapped hands hard with Acie Law, then went to the line and finished off the three-point play that gave the Hawks a 99-89 lead with 1:47 remaining.

"We feel good about our chances this year,'' Smith said. "This is the team (Phoenix) that everyone has winning the NBA title this year. To play the way we played against them shows we belong in this league.''

Horford grabbed 15 rebounds to lead four Atlanta players in double figures. Smith had 10 rebounds for a double-double and the Hawks finished with a 56-40 rebounding edge, leading to a 29-9 advantage in second-chance points. Josh Childress also had 10 rebounds to go along with 19 points.

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.

"We ran into a team that's more athletic than we are,'' Nash said, a huge compliment to the Hawks.

In a strange second quarter, all the Suns' field goals came from beyond the 3-point stripe. Led by Nash, they were 6-of-13 outside the arc, 0-of-11 from in closer.

While the Hawks failed to hit any 3s in the period, they still managed to seize control. Atlanta led 55-47 at the break and zealously guarded its advantage over the final two periods, beating the Suns at their own game with plenty of hustle plays.

Phoenix was held to its fewest points in five games this season, shooting just 41 percent (35-of-86) from the field. Nash was 7-of-10 from 3-point range.

"They cleaned up everything on the glass,'' he said. "We missed a lot of shots and couldn't overcome that lack of efficiency.''

The Hawks played another close one. They opened the season at home with a 101-94 win over Dallas, then lost two straight road games at Detroit and New Jersey by a total of six points.

"We should be 4-0,'' Smith said.

But Atlanta can't complain about breaking even against a brutal opening stretch, which includes five playoff teams among the first six games. The Hawks already have beaten two teams - Dallas and Phoenix - that won more than 60 games last season.

Johnson was held to 15 points, making only 3-of-17 from the field. He offset his poor shooting by doling out 10 assists.

"Joe did a great job all night of finding the open guy,'' Williams said. "It seemed like anytime they left me open, he got me the ball.''

Nash had 11 assists, but the Hawks also swarmed around him to cause six turnovers, including a crucial one with less than a minute to go to finish off the Suns.

Notes: Longtime NBA referee Dick Bavetta is used to hearing boos, but he actually got a request for an autograph on his way back to the court for the second half. He stopped and signed. ... After Horford made a mistake at the defensive end, coach Mike Woodson called the first-round pick over for a quick lecture. "He's a rookie,'' one fan yelled. Then another, clearly a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, chimed in, "Come on, he's from Florida.'' Woodson smiled at that one. ... Stoudemire hopes to return for Friday's game at Miami, but he's not making any promises. "I still don't want to overdo it,'' he said. "I don't want to jump out too soon.''

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 7 (AP) -- Somehow, the Los Angeles Clippers keep winning.

Already missing Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston because of injuries, the Clippers lost top scorer Cuttino Mobley and reserve Ruben Patterson in the first quarter Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers.

Even without all those players, the Clippers still have Sam Cassell. He scored 35 points to lead Los Angeles to a 104-89 win over the Pacers in a matchup of unbeaten teams.

Cassell, within two weeks of his 38th birthday, made 13 of 20 shots to tie his highest point total since he joined the Clippers in 2005.

"He's older than dirt, but he gets it done,'' Clippers center Chris Kaman joked. "He can still shoot the basketball.''

Cassell sent a message to those who wonder if his skills have diminished.

"You think I can't do it? Just sit back and watch,'' he said. "These guys on my team know I can play, I just happen to be 37 years old.''

Kaman did his share, adding 15 points and 22 rebounds for the Clippers (4-0). His rebound total was the highest of any player in the league so far this season.

"I try to take advantage of the opportunities I'm given,'' Kaman said. "I know what I've got to do. I'm no Elton Brand - I don't have that game. I just wanted to try to help fill in where he's missing.''

Mobley left the game in the first quarter holding his right groin. Patterson re-injured a dislocated right pinkie finger and later returned to the bench in street clothes.

None of that mattered Wednesday.

"Collectively as a group, we go into each and every game the underdog,'' Cassell said. "If you don't play hard against us, we will beat you.''

Danny Granger led Indiana with 16 points in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week. Mike Dunleavy added 15 points and Jermaine O'Neal had 13 for the Pacers (3-1).

Kaman helped the Clippers outrebound the Pacers 53-40.

"I think defensive rebounding is every person's job, and I don't think we did a very good job of coming from the perimeter and getting involved,'' O'Brien said.

Indiana shot just 10-for-37 in the second half and scored 31 points.

"I thought we had a lot of great looks at the basket, we just missed shots tonight,'' Indiana coach Jim O'Brien said. "I don't think our shot selection was necessarily bad, it was just a night where we did not put the ball in the basket, and it allowed them to beat us up on the backboards.''

The Clippers also outscored the Pacers 28-19 from the free-throw line.

Indiana went on an 18-2 run from late in the first quarter to early in the second to take a 30-24 lead. The Pacers led 58-55 at halftime.

The Clippers had a 68-67 advantage in the third quarter before going on a 14-0 run that included seven points by Cassell. Los Angeles held the Pacers to 5-for-21 shooting in the quarter to lead 87-72 at the end of the period.

A jumper by Jeff Foster and a free throw by Granger cut the Clippers' lead to 11 with 7:03 left. Los Angeles answered with a bucket by Cassell and a 3-pointer by Tim Thomas to push the lead to 95-79.

The Clippers led by as many as 21 points in the final quarter.

For the first time this season, the Pacers looked sluggish. Indiana forward Jeff Foster said it was just an off night.

"It happens to everybody in the NBA,'' he said. "You're going to have your cold shooting nights, and we couldn't get the offensive rebounds to have second possessions.''

The Clippers hope to build on Wednesday's win.

"In training camp, our motto was 'Believe,''' Corey Maggette said. "We've gotten off to a great start, and we just have to keep it up.''

Notes: Pacers F Shawne Williams played for the first time after serving a team-imposed three-game suspension for driving without a license. He finished with four points, four rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes. ... Pacers C Troy Murphy played for the first time this season. He entered with 5:23 left in the first quarter after sitting out the first three games with a sore left Achilles tendon. He had 10 points and four rebounds. ... Even without Mobley, Los Angeles' starters outscored Indiana's 85-57. ... Mobley finished with two points in five minutes, and Patterson did not score in four minutes.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7 (AP) -- The Charlotte Bobcats went from unbeaten in the first two games to beaten badly in the next two.

So much for the confidence and momentum built off their perfect start.

Andre Iguodala scored 19 points, Willie Green had 14 and the Philadelphia 76ers jumped on Charlotte early and never let up in a 94-63 win Wednesday night, sending the Bobcats back to .500 after a brief undefeated streak.

"It all fell apart,'' Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said.

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's 2-0 start was the first time the fourth-year team had ever been two games above .500 at any point. But the Bobcats were blown out by 32 points against the Suns on Tuesday night and then narrowly avoided a record-low point total, needing one last jumper against the Sixers to surpass the 62 scored against Houston on Dec. 8, 2006.

"We just have to forget about it,'' guard Derek Anderson said. "We've got to figure out a way to do things right.''

Matt Carroll scored 16 points, Emeka Okafor had 11 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bobcats had 29 turnovers.

While Charlotte has the same record (2-2) as the Sixers, the attitude was much more upbeat in the home locker room. Picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Sixers have been competitive in all four games and want to be over .500 by the end of their four-game homestand which ends Sunday.

Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks has stressed the importance of making the most of a favorable schedule that has the Sixers playing 14 of their first 23 games at home.

"It helps when you have a chance to have a game like that,'' Cheeks said.

The Sixers blew open the game in the second quarter and built a 20-point lead in front of about 6,000 fans. Not that the nearly empty arena mattered much to Philly.

"When I'm playing, I'm just focused on the court,'' forward Rodney Carney said. "It could be 20,000 people or 5,000. I'm just concerned about winning.''

Felton wouldn't have made much difference in the final score but the Bobcats were lost without him. Jeff McInnis, who subbed for Felton, and Jason Richardson were a combined 3-for-21 from the floor with 10 turnovers.

"We know Felton has a big impact on our team,'' Vincent said. "We sorely missed him and his calming effect on us. He gets people in the right spots.''

The Sixers led by nine at the end of the first quarter, a score that could have been much worse had their nine turnovers not taken some of the bloom off 9-for-15 shooting. Carney nailed a 3 during a 19-9 run in the second and Lou Williams' bucket brought out an extended "Looooou!'' from the home crowd.

Philly made nine more turnovers in the second, but the Bobcats missed all five three-point attempts in the quarter and went 7-for-22.

"Going into the second half, Coach gave us a big speech about how we have to finish the game off,'' Carney said. "We can't let them come back because they're capable of doing that. I'd say around the fourth quarter, 2 minutes to go, we knew it was done.''

Oh, it was over way earlier than that. The Sixers rolled to a 25-point lead in the third and Kyle Korver hit a 3 during a 6-0 run to open the fourth.

"You always think a team has a run left in them,'' Green said. "Fortunately for us, they didn't.''

Notes: Felton, who averaged 19 points in the first three games, was helped into the locker room against Phoenix without putting any pressure on his left leg. "It scared me at first,'' Felton said. "I had some stiffness and swelling but the swelling has gone down.'' ... Sixers first-round pick Thaddeus Young made his NBA debut with 1:42 left in the second quarter. ... One Bobcats basket made a pair of fans cheer. Carroll, who went to high school in the Philadelphia suburbs, hit a 19-footer and his parents cheered and clapped from their seats six rows off the floor. At least some fans were interested.

In USA TODAY, David Leon Moore writes,"Deron Williams isn't setting out to make anyone forget his legendary predecessor, John Stockton, or his superstar summer-ball teammate, Jason Kidd. But he is drawing comparisons. Just 23 years old, entering his third year in the NBA, the Utah Jazz point guard is positioning himself to be the best in the league at his position."

In the PORTLAND TRIBUNE, Kerry Eggers writes, "Sideline duty has the 7-foot rookie going stir-crazy, and he’ll be more than ready Thursday when doctors allow him to toss away his crutches for good. “I can’t wait,” says the Trail Blazer center, who underwent microfracture knee surgery Sept. 13."

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 7 (AP) -- Golden State forward Matt Barnes has a sprained finger on his shooting hand, adding another injury to the winless Warriors' early woes.

Barnes, a key part of the Warriors' postseason run last spring, was injured in the Warriors' loss to Cleveland on Tuesday night, coach Don Nelson said.

Barnes, who missed Wednesday's practice, dislocated the knuckle on the ring finger of his right hand. The injury could sideline him when Golden State hosts Dallas on Thursday night in a rematch of last season's playoff shocker, when the Warriors became the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed.

"I don't know how he could possibly catch a ball,'' Nelson said. "He played through it, but it's all swollen and discolored now.''

Barnes missed practice Wednesday along with guard Monta Ellis, who felt lightheaded when he reported to the Warriors' training complex.

Ellis, who scored 22 points against the Cavaliers, was sent home with the flu, while starting forward Kelenna Azubuike has a lingering bone bruise in his ankle that hasn't improved much since the summer.

"It just hasn't been right,'' said Azubuike, the Warriors' biggest early-season surprise after averaging 16.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in their first four games. "I might have to just play on it and get treatment. I think it's something I can play with, as long as it feels better than it did last night.''

The Warriors already are without guard Troy Hudson (left hip) and forward Austin Croshere (back).

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7 (AP) -- Charlotte point guard Raymond Felton missed the Bobcats' game Wednesday night against Philadelphia because of a left knee injury.

Felton said he was day to day and hoped to play Friday night against Indiana.

"If it was up to me, I'd play now,'' he said.

Jeff McInnis started against Philly.

Felton was hurt against Phoenix on Tuesday night when he drove into the lane and made a spin move on Suns guard Steve Nash, who fell down in front of him. Felton tripped over him and landed awkwardly on his left leg.

A foul was called on Nash, and Felton attempted both free throws. But after missing the second, he crumpled to the floor and stayed there during the Suns' possession.

Felton, who averaged 19 points in the first three games, was attended to for several minutes before getting to his feet. He was then helped into the locker room without putting any pressure on his left leg.

"It scared me at first,'' Felton said. "I had some stiffness and swelling but the swelling has gone down.''

PHOENIX, Nov. 7 (AP) -- The Phoenix Suns will host the 2009 NBA All-Star game, the third time the city has held the basketball showcase.

Commissioner David Stern will make the announcement at a news conference Thursday at US Airways Center, where the game will be played.

Former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Suns general manager Steve Kerr also are scheduled to attend.

Phoenix was the site of the All-Star game in 1995 and 1975. Toronto, New York, Oakland and Milwaukee reportedly were contenders for the 2009 contest.

The 2008 All-Star game is Feb. 17 in New Orleans.