Newton Citizen

ATLANTA - Joe Johnson scored 28 points, Josh Childress added 20 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-96 on Wednesday night to maintain the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks also escaped a major scare when X-rays on point guard Mike Bibby's left thumb were negative. Bibby left the game in the fourth quarter and didn't return, but trainer Wally Blase said he had a strain and would be listed as day-to-day.

The Hawks, winners in five of seven, remained a half-game ahead of ninth-place New Jersey, a winner over Indiana on Wednesday night.

Johnson's 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer made it 45-43 midway through the second to give Atlanta its first lead since 4-2.

The Bucks, 6-29 on the road, never came within double figures of the lead after Marvin Williams' 20-footer made it 96-84 early in the fourth.

Andrew Bogut led the Bucks with 27 points and nine rebounds, but the 7-foot center left the game after Williams accidentally hit him in the face midway through the fourth. Williams' right arm appeared to hit Bogut's nose on an inbound pass from the baseline. Bogut lay underneath the basket briefly before walking to the bench with a bloody nose.

Michael Redd finished with 20 points for Milwaukee, which has lost seven straight on the road. The Bucks' leading scorer with a 23.3 average, Redd had 19 in the first quarter, but he was just 0-for-3 in the final three periods.

Notes

The Hawks, who have 11 games remaining in the regular season, aren't sure if Bibby will be able to play when Chicago visits Philips Arena on Friday. ... Johnson was 11-for-17 from the field, and Childress went 7-for-11. ... Atlanta is 5-11 against the Central Division, 5-3 at home. ... Milwaukee dropped to 8-8 against the Southeast. ... Bucks reserve F Bobby Simmons didn't dress because of the flu.