Atlanta A.P.Josh Smith scored 35 points for Atlanta, but it wasn't enough to overcome the team's 12-of-22 showing at the foul line. Washington made the Hawks pay, knocking down 22 of 24 free throws.
Antonio Daniels scored off a finger roll with 37.5 seconds left in overtime to put the Wizards ahead to stay. Butler and Daniels sealed the win at the line, going 6-of-6 the rest of the way.
About three hours before the game, the Hawks received a jarring blow: The NBA upheld a protest filed by the Miami Heat after an overtime loss in Atlanta last month.
Stern took away the Hawks' 117-111 win, ruling the final 51.9 seconds must be replayed because the home scoring crew mistakenly ruled that Shaquille O'Neal fouled out, when he actually had only five fouls.
The league's first replay since 1982 will be held before the next game between the teams, March 8 in Atlanta. It will be Miami's ball, with the Hawks leading 114-111.
Losing a win in the standings before they ever took the court, the Hawks could have soothed their feelings with a win over their division rival. Instead, Atlanta dropped two games below .500 as Washington strengthened its hold on second place in the Southeast.
With Gilbert Arenas still on the mend from knee surgery, the Wizards relied on a balanced attack. DeShawn Stevenson added 19 points, Daniels had 14 and Andray Blatche chipped in with 13 off the bench. Jamison also pulled down 17 rebounds, while Blatche swatted away five shots.
Smith led the Hawks, but his line at the line (4-for-10) was symbolic of Atlanta's free-throw shooting woes. Joe Johnson had 23 points and Marvin Williams 16 but they, too, had crucial misses down the stretch.
Rookie Al Horford grabbed 19 rebounds for the Hawks.
The Hawks led 82-76 on Johnson's basket with 5:44 remaining, but Washington surged back into the lead with nine straight points, capped by Butler's 3-pointer.
Johnson answered with a 3 of his own to tie it up, but the Hawks kept missing free throws that could have extended the lead.
After Stevenson hit two foul shots with 43.5 seconds left for an 87-87 tie, both teams squandered a pair of chances to win in regulation. Williams had a shot swatted away by Stevenson, then Smith stepped up to block Butler's attempt a winning 3 from the top of the key just ahead of the buzzer.
The Wizards led 39-33 at halftime after a hideous display of shooting by both teams. Washington connected on just 39 percent (15 of 29) from the field, while the Hawks were even worse at 35 percent (14 of 40).
Both teams improved after the break, with the Hawks nearly breaking even (41 of 87). But they couldn't overcome those 10 missed free throws.
Notes: Atlanta G Tyronn Lue was on the 12-man active roster but didn't play because of a groin injury. ... C Brendan Haywood started for the Wizards but spent most of the night on the bench. He played only 11 minutes, scoring 2 points. Every other starter played at least 40 minutes.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Wednesday
April 30th, 2025
2:12AM
