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Instead, the Nets, playing their fourth game in six nights, were run off the Philips Arena floor. The final score was 109-95, and it was not that close. Atlanta led by 16 at halftime and extended the lead to 26 during a third-quarter spurt that effectively ended the competitive portion of the contest. The Nets closed to within a dozen points with 7 minutes 43 seconds to go, but Al Horford hit a free throw and a layup to snuff the threat.

Point guard Deron Williams, who played 43 minutes in the Nets' victory over Toronto on Tuesday, looked particularly worn out, as he was beaten repeatedly on the break and off the dribble by Atlanta guards Devin Harris and Jeff Teague. Teague scored 28 points and made 12 of 18 shots from the floor, most of them layups. Harris added 18 points.

The blowout ruined Joe Johnson's return to Atlanta. Johnson spent seven productive seasons with the Hawks, but a lack of performance in the postseason, combined with his enormous salary, meant that Johnson's trade to the Nets was greeted with relief that neared glee in Georgia. Johnson floated through the game, only occasionally looking for his shot as the Nets tried to exert their supposed interior advantage. Johnson's first field goal came with five minutes remaining in the first half, and he finished with 15 points.

Johnson was greeted with a mix of boos and cheers, reflecting his lukewarm relationship with Atlanta fans. A chant of "We don't miss you!" rang out as he shot a free throw in the second period.

A sequence early in the second half exemplified the difference in effort between the teams. Teague broke wide open off a screen, and moments later Harris converted an easy three-on-one as most of the Nets watched from the other side of the floor. On the next possession, Teague raced down the floor to take an outlet pass for an uncontested layup. That made the score 62-42.

Smith's replacement in the lineup, Zaza Pachulia, flirted with a triple-double, scoring 13 points to go with 11 rebounds and 8 assists, including a nifty behind-the-back pass to set up an Al Horford score that felt as if the Hawks were rubbing it in, even though it came midway through the third quarter. Horford contributed his 20th double-double of the season, with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

It was apparent early that this game would run against form, as the Hawks hit 8 of their first 11 shots. The Hawks scored more points in the first two minutes of the game than they did in the first quarter Monday night, when Atlanta was humiliated by the Bulls, 97-58..

On Wednesday against the Nets, the Hawks shot 57.7 percent — their best percentage of the season.

The teams meet again Friday night at Barclays Center, and Smith is expected back in uniform. It remains to be seen if the Nets will display more energy against a full complement of Hawks.