Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver falls into the Miami Heat bench during play in the second half of their NBA game in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday. The Heat won 95-89. Tami Chappell / Reuters

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (center) celebrates the team's win over the Atlanta Hawks with teammates Chris Bosh (left) and Ray Allen. Tami Chappell / Reuters

LeBron James' right knee was hurting. With Dwyane Wade back at the hotel, there was no way the MVP was coming out.

James scored 21 points, including the clinching jumper with 13.6 seconds remaining, and Miami knocked off the Atlanta Hawks 95-89 on Friday night for the Heat's fourth straight win.

In the final minute of the first half, James banged knees with Atlanta's Josh Smith. But the Heat star shook off the pain, knowing Miami was already short-handed with Wade sitting out because of a nasty cold.

"It's a little sore right now," James said. "I knew I would get through it. It would take a lot for me not to go back out there with my teammates."

He just missed a triple-double, grabbing 11 rebounds and handing out nine assists.

Jeff Teague hit consecutive 3-pointers as the Hawks rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter. But Smith, on an awful night, missed two free throws with just over a minute remaining, and James finished off Atlanta after the teams traded turnovers.

Everyone in the building knew James would shoot at the end. It didn't matter. He muscled away from DeShawn Stevenson, swished a 15-footer and hopped along the sideline in front of the Atlanta crowd.

"I had a pretty good look," James said. "It's just about repetition. It's things that you practice every day."

Chris Bosh led Miami with 24 points, knocking down all 10 of his free throw attempts.

Teague scored 20 points, but the Hawks couldn't overcome a dismal performance by Smith, who also had to cope with a sore knee and all the energy he expended at the defensive end, spending much of his time guarding James.

Smith went 6 of 19 from the field and connected just one time on five attempts from the foul line. Even the one he made was ugly, a banked-in shot late in the first half after he put up an airball on his first attempt.

"I've got to be more efficient. I've got to be better at the free throw line," he said. "I apologize to all my teammates. It was just a poor effort."

Smith knows more is expected of him after the Hawks dealt perennial All-Star Joe Johnson to Brooklyn during the offseason. He refused to blame his knee or the burden of guarding James for his showing.

"Yeah, it's tough giving energy at both ends of the court, but that's not an excuse," Smith said. "I'm supposed to be a leader on this basketball team. From a team standpoint, I like what he did. We fought back. We're going to be good. We're going to get better."

Smith was fouled going for an offensive rebound with 1:05 remaining, sending him to the line with Miami clinging to a 91-89 lead. Both shots clanked off the rim, allowing Miami to escape with another win at less than full strength.

"We kept fighting," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "But this game is about making plays down the stretch, and we didn't come up with enough plays down the stretch. They did."

Notes:

Rap star T.I. sat in with the Hawks' television broadcast team during the first half. He was tailed around the arena by a camera crew from his VHI reality show ... Teague also had 11 assists ... Anthony Morrow gave the Hawks a spark off the bench with 17 points ... Miami dominated in the lane, outscoring the Hawks 40-26.

(China Daily 11/11/2012 page7)