You have to wonder if Josh Smith's big game came just a little too late to sway the voters.
A 28-point, 12-rebound, 5-steal, 3-assist, 3-block night in any of the Hawks' three previous games, all of which came before the deadline for coaches to submit their All-Star reserves to the league office, might have helped his cause.
But that big game came the night before the reserves are announced, a 97-87 win against a solid Indiana Pacers team that the Hawks could very well see down the road in the Eastern Conference playoffs at some point.
Smith, trying to earn his first All-Star Game nod after years of being worthy but always missing in action on announcement night, would seem to have his strongest case ever this season.
Al Horford goes down for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, Smith steps up and holds down the low post on both ends of the floor as the Hawks thrive. His bid should have been all but sealed, that is until the Hawks suffered through a mini-meltdown, losing three straight games before rebounding against the Pacers.
"That stuff is out of my hands," Smith said of the possibility of an All-Star nod. "I've been in this situation before, waiting and wondering what's going to happen. If it does, I'll be ecstatic. I'll be in Orlando soaking up every single minute of it. If not, I'll make sure my feet are parked in some sand somewhere and rest up with the family over the long weekend and then come back ready to get back to work. That's all you can do."
Smith is averaging 15.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 blocks. He's shooting 47 percent from the floor, not earth-shattering numbers by any stretch. But the Hawks are 17-9 and still in the top four mix in the Eastern Conference because Smith was able to hold it down for them up front without Horford by his side.
And it's nights like the one he had against the Pacers that hammers home that point.
"He played just super. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves, what he really brings to the table," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "He is a guy that can impact it on both ends. He was certainly a difference maker tonight. I thought he played very, very hard. He played a lot of minutes tonight, so I know he's a little tired. He was absolutely unbelievable tonight."
Smith and the Hawks are back on the floor Friday at the site of the All-Star Game, Orlando.
NOTES, QUOTES
-If the Hawks need to know how they crawled out of their three-game hole, they need only take a look back at the three straight games they won before the three straight that they lost.
They could pop the Pacers tape in as well and see the same thing. When they play with that extra boost of energy, they are a totally different team, one that's almost impossible to stop.
"Our energy level was great for 48 minutes," Joe Johnson said. "Even when they made a run, we were able to sustain it and make a run of our own. We were relentless on the glass, boxed out, Josh was a big presence down low. I think those were the biggest differences."
-The Hawks have a two-headed point guard monster when they need it, between Jeff Teague and Kirk Hinrich.
They might have traded roles since last season, with Teague as the starter this time around and Hinrich as his backup.
Hinrich made four of his five shots in the first quarter to help the Hawks to a quick start against the Pacers.
Coach Larry Drew likes him in that attacking mode and says he won't hold either one of his point guards back when it comes to being aggressive with the ball in their hands.
"I want them probing and looking to attack at all times," Drew said. "That's how we have to play."
-The Hawks might have found that extra big man they've been looking for. Veteran 7-footer Erick Dampier was in town Wednesday and took a physical with the team.
The contract details will have to be worked out before he is signed and suits up. But he certainly fits the bill of what the Hawks need to help offset the loss of both Al Horford and Jason Collins.
ROSTER REPORT
-G Jeff Teague took a spill near the basket against the Pacers and appeared to struggle all night. He scored just five points and played just 26 minutes, giving way to Kirk Hinrich, who finished his night with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the floor.
-F Ivan Johnson is ranked No. 5 on NBA.com's Rookie Ladder rankings but his name was nowhere to be found among the nine rookies listed for the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend in Orlando. Johnson is playing well enough but suffered from name-recognition syndrome.
-G Tracy McGrady dialed up a T-Mac performance off the bench against the Pacers, knocking down four of his six shots from the floor. He was 2-for-4 from deep en route to a 13-point performance on a night when the Hawks needed a boost from the bench.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Energy was the difference tonight. We're like night and day when we play with energy. We were able to sustain it. We came out at the start of the game, and in the first half played high-energized basketball." -- Hawks coach Larry Drew.
