Atlanta, GA (Best E Casino) - Joe Johnson netted a season-high 34 points and added 10 assists, leading the Atlanta Hawks past the Charlotte Bobcats, 117-109, at Philips Arena.

Josh Childress also his best scoring night on the young season with 23 while Marvin Williams posted 19 points for the Hawks, who had dropped two in a row and four of five coming in. Rookie Al Horford had a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards.

The win was not without a cost for Atlanta, though. Josh Smith (left quad strain) and Acie Law IV (left ankle sprain) left in the third quarter and did not return.

Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson scored 27 apiece for Charlotte, which has lost four of six.

The Hawks used a 10-1 spurt in the opening quarter to gain separation. Law started the run with a lay-in, and Johnson capped it with a three-pointer to extend Atlanta's advantage to 22-9 with 5:42 to play.

The home team continued to pull away as the quarter wore on, and held a 37-22 lead at the end of the first stanza following a pair of free throws from Johnson in the closing seconds.

"We waited too late to really try and play with some urgency," said Bobcats head coach Sam Vincent. "We're not going to be able to be in games if we wait until after the first quarter."

The two teams played to a 26-26 deadlock in the second, giving the Hawks a 63-48 lead at the break. Johnson paced his club with 20 points and five assists as Atlanta shot 69 percent from the floor in the opening half.

Charlotte showed some life in the third quarter, and moved within six with just over five minutes remaining on Richardson's fadeaway. The Hawks quickly pushed the edge back to 10 following a Williams jumper from the right wing, however, and the lead stood at seven heading into the final 12 minutes.

The Bobcats got no closer the rest of the way.

"We realized that we had to step up," Childress said. "We have the talent and the capability to do that night in and night out."

Game Notes

Hawks center Lorenzen Wright (foot) did not play...The Bobcats return home for three games versus Seattle, Portland and Washington...Atlanta finishes its three-game homestand versus Seattle on Friday...The Hawks established a season-high in points.