CLEVELAND -- Atlanta forward Joe Johnson and guard Speedy Claxton will sit out the final three games of the season because of
injuries that have nagged the last-place Hawks for months.
Claxton
Johnson
Johnson, the club's leading scorer, missed his 19th straight
game Saturday because of a bruised right calf. Coach Mike Woodson
said the club decided to rest Johnson so he can recover more
quickly.
Woodson doesn't know if the injury will affect Johnson's status
as a member of the U.S. national team.
"I don't know if he's going to entertain that or not," Woodson
said. "Right now, he's our concern in terms of the calf and we
want to make sure he's in perfect position as he goes through his
summer regimen."
Johnson averaged 25 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds for the
Hawks, who entered Saturday's game against Cleveland with five
players injured.
Claxton, the Hawks' assists leader, missed 33 games with a sore
left knee. The 29-year-old signed with Atlanta as a free agent in
September after playing last season with New Orleans.
"We've got to get Speedy back on board," Woodson said.
The Hawks were already missing forward Josh Childress, who is
out for the season with a stress fracture in his right foot.
Atlanta doesn't have forward Zaza Pachulia (lower right leg) and
guard Salim Stoudamire (sprained right ankle) either. Both are
expected to miss at least one more game.
The injuries have been tough for Woodson and the Hawks (29-50),
the NBA's youngest team.
"I don't know where we are as a team in terms of personnel
because everyone has been banged up," Woodson said.