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Marvin Williams added 25 points for the Hawks, who used their athleticism to break open what was only a five-point game early in the final quarter. Reserve Josh Childress had 14 of his 22 points in the second half and added nine rebounds.
Atlanta (28-38) hasn't made the playoffs since 1999, the NBA's longest drought. The Hawks tied New Jersey for eighth place in the East, and following a game in Washington on Monday, they visit the Nets on Wednesday night.
Nate Robinson scored 23 points for the Knicks, who have lost eight of nine. New York hurt itself with a woeful 15-for-28 performance (54 percent) at the foul line.
Johnson kept up his impressive roll. The All-Star guard is averaging 29 points in his past eight games.
Childress dunked and Johnson converted a three-point play as Atlanta extended an 87-82 lead to double digits. Childress and Al Horford later had consecutive baskets on offensive boards to trigger an 8-0 spurt that put it out of reach at 102-87 midway through the fourth quarter.
With starters Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury out for the season after surgery and his team well out of playoff position, Knicks coach Isiah Thomas has started going with some young players. And early on, they showed why they don't play much.
Second-year reserves Renaldo Balkman and Randolph Morris combined to miss their first seven free throws, and the crowd let out a mock cheer when Balkman finally hit one with 8:52 left in the second quarter.
Still, the Knicks trailed only 53-49 at halftime, then used an 11-0 spurt to go up by four early in the third period. Williams scored 14 points in the quarter, and Atlanta led 85-79 entering the fourth.
Notes: The game was delayed 4 seconds in when the shot clock and game clocks didn't match. ... The Knicks celebrated "Latino Night," with the starting lineups being announced in Spanish. Changing languages didn't mean a change in customs, as Thomas heard his usual pregame boos. ... The teams meet twice more, one in Atlanta and once here.
[Associated Press; By BRIAN MAHONEY]
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