The Atlanta Hawks today acquired guard Anthony Johnson from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the Hawks? 2007 second-round draft pick, according to Hawks Executive Vice PresidentGeneral Manager Billy Knight.

?We?re happy to be able to bring Anthony Johnson back to Atlanta,? Knight said. ?He provides us with another veteran presence, and brings a great deal of regular season and postseason experience to our club.?

Entering his third stint with the Hawks, Johnson has played in 40 games this season with the Mavericks, averaging 3.8 ppg, 2.0 apg and 1.2 rpg in 14.1 mpg (.411 FG%, .724 FT%).

Scott Skiles wasn't too excited after watching his team put on a defensive clinic in the third quarter.

Chris Duhon scored 17 points and the Chicago Bulls held the Atlanta Hawks without a field goal in the third quarter in a 106-81 victory Tuesday night.

It was the first time the Bulls held a team without a field goal in a quarter. Atlanta was outscored 28-8 in the third quarter and finished the period 0-for-16 from the field.

According to Elias data, it was also the first quarter this season in which an NBA team held its opponent without a field goal. It happened once last season (Sacramento shot 0-for-20 in the fourth quarter in Salt Lake City on Feb. 3, 2006) and once the previous season (Detroit went 0-for-15 in the fourth quarter vs. Utah on March 13, 2005, but the Pistons won the game).

Skiles thought the Bulls have played better defense this season.

"Our defense was good, not great. We have played better defense than that stretch. We were good and they just missed some shots. When they had opportunities, we fouled them and they weren't able to get the shot off," said Skiles.

Hawks general manager Billy Knight did not confirm or deny the report that the club was looking to deal for Luke Ridnour.

"We have to look at every way possible to improve our team, and we're doing that," Knight said. "I'm not the type of guy that talks about conversations or possibilities. I just find that counterproductive. But we're certainly evaluating every avenue. We're actively involved in looking at things that can help us improve this team now and for the long term."

The Atlanta Hawks have called Seattle GM Rick Sund, according to a source, seeking to obtain point guard Luke Ridnour.

Ridnour has been in and out of the Sonics' starting line-up all season long.

There were more than a few eyebrows raised when the league chose Atlanta's Joe Johnson to replace Jason Kidd instead of taking either Luol Deng or Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls, the Toronto Star is reporting.

Johnson may be a good choice but there are those who think that a team's record needs to be taken into consideration.

Plus, the fact there are no Bulls going doesn't quite seem right.

"I don't think anybody on a below-.500 team should be involved in the all-star game," said Chicago coach Scott Skiles.

"Having never been (an all-star), I'm probably not in a position to judge," he added. "They don't call me and ask me those things.

"But I think that would add some nice incentive to playing in that game for players that may lack some incentive."

The NBA announced today that Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will represent the Eastern Conference at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 18. Johnson is Atlanta?s first All-Star since Shareef Abdur-Rahim was named to the midseason classic in 2002.

?I?m happy and excited to be named to the Eastern Conference team,? Johnson said. ?Obviously, I?m looking forward to my first All-Star experience. It?s a tremendous honor and accomplishment for me, my coaches, teammates and the organization.?

?This is great news for Joe and our organization,? Hawks head coach Mike Woodson said. ?He?s put himself in this position by playing like an All-Star all season long. We feel he?s one of the top players in the league,

and this selection validates it. He?s my first All-Star player as a coach and I hope he has a great time, and takes home wonderful memories.?

Steve Nash might sit out Friday's game against Atlanta because of a sore right shoulder, although he and Suns coach Mike D'Antoni believe the injury poses no long-term problems.

The league's two-time defending MVP did not practice Thursday and was noncommittal on whether he would go against the Hawks.

"I think we'd probably want to err on the side of caution at this point," Nash said. "I've already missed a game and a half. I'd rather miss another one rather than injuring it further and missing more games, so we've got to be careful when we assess it tomorrow night and make sure we're comfortable with it."

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Jeremy Richardson to a second 10-day contract, according to Hawks? Executive Vice President/General Manager Billy Knight.

Richardson has appeared in two contests for the Hawks, averaging 2.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg and 0.5 spg in 4.0 mpg (.667 FG%, 1-1 3FGs). He also played in 15 games this season with the Fort Worth Flyers of the National Basketball Association Development League.

Tyronne Lue hit a 23-foot jumper at the buzzer to lift the Hawks to a 101-99 overtime victory against the New Jersey Nets on Sunday, posting their first three-game road winning streak since December 2000.

"This was a big win for our team," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "This is the second game I've had my nine-man rotation due to all the injuries. From a coaching standpoint it's nice to see us pull through like we did, but we still have a long way to go."

Lue's game-winning shot came after Vince Carter hit a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game at 99 with 2.9 seconds to play.

"It's a tough loss," Carter said. "We can't be inconsistent and up and down during the course of the game. With us down bodies, we have to come out and play hard and scrappy from start to finish."