Hawks cool off Suns

Josh Smith scored 22 points, rookie Al Horford led a dominant performance on the boards and the host Atlanta Hawks held off Steve Nash, his 34 points and the Phoenix Suns 105-96 Wednesday night.

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.

Horford grabbed 15 rebounds to lead four Atlanta players in double figures off the boards. 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.

The Suns played their third straight game without Amare Stoudemire, who sat out because of a sore knee.

•The Suns will host the 2009 NBA All-Star game, the third time the city has held the basketball showcase.

Jazz 103, Cavaliers 101: At Salt Lake City, Deron Williams made a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining, and Utah overcame LeBron James’ triple-double and tying 3-pointer in a win over Cleveland.

Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Paul Millsap scored a career-high 24 points for the Jazz. James finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists.

76ers 94, Bobcats 63: Andre Iguodala scored 19 points, Willie Green had 14 and host Philadelphia jumped on Charlotte early and never let up.

Magic 105, Raptors 96: Hedo Turkoglu had 24 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, Rashard Lewis scored 24 points, and Orlando beat host Toronto.

Celtics 119, Nuggets 92: At Boston, 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.

•Boston coach Doc Rivers has rejoined the team following the death of his father.

Spurs 88, Heat 78: Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, Tony Parker added 23, and host San Antonio kept Dwyane Wade-less Miami winless.

Ginobili hit four of the Spurs’ seven 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the third quarter, after the Spurs led by one at halftime.

Trail Blazers 93, New Orleans 90: Martell Webster and Jarrett Jack each scored 20 points, and host Portland earned its first victory of the season by beating New Orleans.

Brandon Roy added 17 points and seven assists for the Blazers (1-3), playing their home opener.

Clippers 104, Pacers 89: At Indianapolis, Sam Cassell scored 35 points to lead Los Angeles to a win over Indiana in a matchup of unbeaten teams.

Chris Kaman added 15 points and 22 rebounds for Los Angeles. His rebound total was the highest of any player in the league this season.

•Indiana forward Ike Diogu tore his left calf muscle during practice and will be out four to six weeks.

Arenas misses practice again

Washington guard Gilbert Arenas’ surgically repaired knee was drained for the second time in three weeks, forcing him to miss practice for a third consecutive day, though he could play tonight.