ATLANTA -- Josh Smith was glad to get past his homecoming. Smiths former Atlanta teammates were glad to hang on for an ugly win. Paul Millsap, signed in the off-season to replace Smith, had 19 points to steal the spotlight in Smiths return to Atlanta, leading the Hawks to a 93-85 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Smith, who signed with Detroit after nine seasons with the Hawks, had 11 points while shooting 5 of 15 from the field. "Im glad I got this one under my belt," Smith said. "Now we can move on and just focus on playing basketball." There was a mixed response for Smith in pregame introductions but only applause following a "Thanks Josh Smith" message on the video board during the first timeout. "It was what I expected, kind of," Smith said. "Some cheering, a little bit of boos, but its all good." Smith called his return to his hometown "kind of a surreal moment" before the game. Al Horford, Smiths former teammate, said "it was different" to have Smith wearing the Pistons blue uniform on the Hawks home court. "Josh was a teammate of mine for a long time and I know he felt it," Horford said. "I felt it, too. There was a little nostalgia, I think you could say. But it was good. Hes trying to move forward and so are we, but it was just good to see him." The Hawks pulled away after leading 66-64 through three quarters. Jeff Teague scored 18 points and DeMarre Carroll had 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks was ejected with 2:36 remaining after complaining to an official during a timeout. Cheeks wouldnt reveal what he said that drew the two technical fouls and ejection. "Nothing. Just got em," Cheeks said. "I dont need to get fined!" Brandon Jennings led Detroit with 21 points. Rodney Stuckey had 18 before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Each team showed signs of playing the second of back-to-back nights. "Its important during the season to find a way to win some ugly games and I think our group tonight found a way to do that, to find some energy when it probably wasnt easy for either group," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Added Horford: "It wasnt the prettiest game. We just made enough plays to win the game." Millsap started after missing the Hawks loss at Miami on Tuesday night with a sore right elbow. Millsap, who made eight of 14 shots, said he wasnt motivated by comparisons with Smith. "Im not Josh Smith," Millsap said. "It didnt faze me at all. It wasnt about me. Its not about me." Instead, it was about Smith for many fans and perhaps for the forward who had three steals and blocked two shots. "My teammates know how important the game is to me," Smith said before the game. Asked what he has missed about his Atlanta hometown, Smith said: "My house. And my mothers home cooking." Smith missed a jump hook on the Pistons first possession and then missed two 3-pointers before making a layup for his first field goal. Smith wasnt the only player to struggle with poor shooting early. Each team shot under 30 per cent in the first quarter. The Pistons led 46-43 at halftime before Atlanta took a 66-64 advantage into the final period. Mike Scott scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. Teague had eight points in the final period. NOTES: Kyle Korver has made a 3-pointer in 85 consecutive games, four shy of matching the NBA record set by Dana Barros (1994-96). Korver left the game in the first period with a left eye laceration. The cut did not require stitches and he returned early in the second period to make his first of two 3s. ... The Pistons were without G Chauncey Billups (left knee tendinitis), G Will Bynum (sore left hamstring) and F Charlie Villanueva (back). ... The teams play again Friday night at Detroit. Victor Martinez Jersey . 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He was a potential starter on the defensive line but head coach Mike OShea said he wasnt even thinking about the ratio when he got the news.BATA, Equatorial Guinea - Guinea beat Mali to a place in the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals thanks to a lucky break in a random draw conducted at a hotel on Thursday.Guinea joins the likes of Algeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana in the last eight. Mali, after losing the cruel lottery, goes home.Heres why Guinea progressed through sheer chance, and some other things to know, ahead of the African soccer championships first knockout games this weekend:___GUINEA GETS LUCK OF THE DRAW: There was no other way to separate Guinea and Mali after they had three identical 1-1 draws in Group D to tie for second behind Ivory Coast. That meant the drawing of lots under tournament rules.An official from each country picked a ball out of a bowl. In one, there was a piece of paper with the No. 2 printed on it. In the other, a No. 3, indicating what would be the final ranking of the teams, and who would take the second qualifying place behind the Ivorians. The Guinean official made the right choice, letting a big smile spread across his face before showing the lucky No. 2 to observers.We have no other choice, Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou said before the draw, which was criticized by both teams as a cruel way to decide who stays and who is eliminated. CAF say they will consider changing the rule.The drawing of lots is rare but not completely unprecedented. It happened in 1988, when Algeria progressed at the expense of Ivory Coast.ALGERIA-IVORY COAST CRUNCH GAME: This year, Algeria and Ivory Coast are rated the best teams, but will meet sooner than expected. Top-ranked in Africa, Algeria was edged to first place in Group C by Ghana, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with the star-studded Ivorians, winners of Group D and led by Manchester Citys Yaya Toure.While Algeria is undergoing a recent revival, Ivory Coast has a painful history of near misses at the Cup of Nations. It has lost two finals in the last five tournaments on penalty kicks. Sundays knockout game in Malabo, which should see the return of Ivory Coast forward Gervinho from a two-game suspension, is the biggest of the 2015 tournament so far.LEGEND OF LE ROY: Claude Le Roy has reached the quarterfinals in seven of his record eight African Cups as a coach.dddddddddddd Hes done it with five different countries. Le Roys latest success is with Republic of Congo, a champion 45 years ago but now a rank outsider that won its first game at the tournament since 1974 when it beat Gabon last week. It is into the quarters this year as Group A winner.The team and Le Roy — an unmistakable figure with his spectacles, toothy grin, and floppy blond hair — have had a pretty rough ride in Equatorial Guinea off the field. They were given a hotel that had no running water. Without a proper escort, their bus got caught in a traffic jam and they nearly missed their opening game. The bus then broke down on a three-hour road trip to another match. Unflappable, Le Roy hasnt let it affect the campaign.No, no. I am happy every day of my life, he said when asked if he was getting angry with the organizers.HOST HUNTS HISTORY: Equatorial Guinea shouldnt even be at the tournament after being thrown out for fielding an ineligible player in qualifying. But Morocco was dumped as host nation and the tournament given to Equatorial Guinea, meaning the team was back in. And its making the most of it.Equatorial Guinea has little soccer history to call on, but has ridden a wave of rowdy home support to make the last eight under Argentine coach Esteban Becker, who was appointed just before the African Cup kicked off.QUARTERS MOVED: The hurried preparations after the late change of host nation have come at a cost. Hastily built stadiums in the remote eastern cities of Ebebiyin and Mongomo have held up, but the fields havent. So, all four quarterfinals will be at the established venues in the bigger cities of Bata and Malabo.That makes for two doubleheaders: Bata hosts the first two quarters back-to-back on Saturday, and Malabo has the second two on Sunday. For fans at the stadiums, thats at least 180 minutes of soccer, and not just 90. Maybe more, if extra time and penalties are needed.___AP Sports Writer Chris Lehourites contributed to this story from Malabo.___Gerald Imray is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China China NFL Gear Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Stitched NFL Jerseys ' ' '
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