Atlanta Hawks Notes, Quotes 2009-11-16 News Atlanta Hawks

--For anyone who missed the memo about Josh Smith elevating his game to new heights this season, he's got copies. And he's handing them out nightly, namely every time he takes the floor. Smith dominated the action against the Hornets, finishing with 17 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and 2.6 blocks.

"He was all over the place, in terms of rebounding the ball," coach Mike Woodson said. "He rebounded early, and that seemed to flow right through the rest of the game. He made plays from a defensive standpoint, blocking some shots underneath and just flying around and being Josh. We need him to do that."

--With an increased emphasis on defending the paint this season, the Hawks have discovered that their dominance on that front can be contagious on the other end of the floor. The Hawks pounded the Hornets in the paint, outscoring them 70-48 in the key.

"Our goal was to keep them from getting easy buckets on that end, and I think that we did that," Marvin Williams said. "I didn't know that we ended up with that kind of advantage, but now that I see it in action, it's worth every penny spent."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We wanted to limit them to one shot and be aggressive on the offensive and defensive boards. I made a conscious effort to go down there and help Al out and not let him be the only down there rebounding." -- F Josh Smith, on his 17-rebound effort.

Play Basketball Hot Streak and win prizes!