Hawks earn first win by beating Celtics

The Atlanta Hawks became the last NBA team to win a game, outlasting the visiting Boston Celtics 120-117 Wednesday night as Al Harrington scored 34 points.

Zaza Pachulia added 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Hawks finally won after losing their first nine games – the longest winless start in franchise history.

Joe Johnson scored 13 points, all in the second half, and made three free throws in the final 30 seconds to help the Hawks protect the lead.

Topping their previous scoring high for the season by 23 points, the Hawks finally won by shooting 56 percent from the field.

Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer for 33 points. Ricky Davis added 25 points for the Celtics, who fell to 0-4 on the road. Overall, Boston has lost four of its last five games.

The Hawks led 115-110 before hitting a dry spell as Harrington and Salim Stoudamire were called for offensive fouls. The call on Stoudamire wiped away a basket on his drive with 1:05 left and the lead down to three points.

Pachulia hit two free throws with 33 seconds left for a 117-112 lead.

The Hawks, who were 27th in the league with their average of 88 points per game, reached 100 points for the first time.

Magic 91, Wizards 83: At Orlando, Fla., Hedo Turkoglu had a season-high 23 points and seven rebounds, helping Orlando overcome an injury-depleted backcourt and beat Washington. The Wizards lost their fifth straight after a 5-1 start and got a rare off night from leading scorer Gilbert Arenas, who had 19 points and nine assists but shot 6 of 19.

“Steve Francis missed Orlando’s game against Washington because of bruised ribs. Francis, the Magic’s leading scorer with 20 points per game, said he was injured in a single-car crash just after Saturday’s loss to New Orleans.

Suns 100, Rockets 88: At Houston, Shawn Marion and James Jones each scored 19 points and Phoenix found its 3-point shooting touch in a victory over Houston. After hitting only 8 of 42 from 3-point range the previous two games, Phoenix shot 14 of 27 from behind the arc for a season-high 3-point total. Jones was 5 of 10.

Pistons 114, Nuggets 89: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Richard Hamilton scored 19 points and Chauncey Billups added 16 points and 11 assists as Detroit ended Denver’s four-game winning streak. Detroit put seven players in double figures and had a season-high 35 assists.

Bobcats 108, Knicks 95: At Charlotte, N.C., Gerald Wallace returned from a wrist injury to score 24 points and grab nine rebounds, leading Charlotte over New York. Kareem Rush added 22 points and Emeka Okafor had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bobcats, who won for only the second time in nine games.

Heat 100, Trail Blazers 79: At Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and tied his personal high with 11 rebounds for his 23rd career double-double, leading Miami over Portland. Jason Williams added 16 points, and James Posey and Antoine Walker each had 12 for Miami.

Bucks 108, 76ers 97: At Milwaukee, Allen Iverson scored an NBA season-high 45 points, but Michael Redd had 32 for Milwaukee and the Bucks beat Philadelphia. Iverson, who was 13 of 30 from the floor and 17 of 19 from the line, surpassed the 43 points Kobe Bryant had for the Los Angeles Lakers against Chicago three days ago.

Hornets 84, Timberwolves 80: At Oklahoma City, Chris Paul scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half to rally New Orleans from a 12-point halftime deficit for a victory over Minnesota. David West added 22 points and 12 rebounds and P.J. Brown scored 13 for the Hornets.

Kings 114, Nets 105: At Sacramento, Calif., Mike Bibby scored 25 points and Bonzi Wells had 23 points and nine rebounds to lead Sacramento over New Jersey. Scoring on a variety of shots inside and on the perimeter, Wells scored 19 points in the second half for the Kings.

Clippers 103, Raptors 100: At Los Angeles, Corey Maggette scored 30 points, Sam Cassell had 10 of his 26 in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles rallied late to beat Toronto. The Pacific Division-leading Clippers are off to the best start in the franchise’s 36-year history at 9-2.

Spurs 113, Warriors 89: At Oakland, Calif., Tim Duncan had his NBA-leading 10th double-double by halftime on the way to 19 points and 12 rebounds in San Antonio’s victory over Golden State. Tony Parker added 26 points, six assists and five rebounds and Manu Ginobili had 14 points and five assists for the Spurs.