Is it safe to say the Hawks are on a roll? Atlanta continues to find ways to win in Al Horford’s absence, this time riding Joe Johnson’s 30 points past the Raptors. With the win, Atlanta ends its 5-game road trip with a 4-1 record and move to 16-6 on the season.

Although Jeff Teague had only 10 points, he had 5 assists which hopefully is a sign that the young point guard is learning to move the ball around better. Teague has averaged only 2.3 assists per game over his career– not exactly the kind of numbers you want from your starting point guard. T-Mac also came up big off the bench with 15 points in tonight’s win.

The Raptors struggled from the field shooting only 37 percent compared to the Hawks’ 51 percent.

After a relatively easy schedule thus far, the Hawks will face more daunting challenges over the next two weeks during which 5 of their next 7 opponents have winning records, including two division rivals– the Heat and the Magic.

Well, apparently Jeff Teague’s ankle isn’t bothering him that much after all. The Hawks point guard led the team with 24 points (4-for-4 from behind the arc) in a resounding 94-72 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

Teague’s status had been questionable after he sprained his left ankle and came out of Friday night’s game, but he played a solid 29 minutes. Guard Willie Green also came up big off the bench with 16 points in 15 minutes.

For the Hornets, it looked like Emeka Okafor was the only one who showed up to play. The center had 13 points and 8 rebounds; the remaining four starters had a combined 27 points and only 7 rebounds.

The win ends the Hawks three-game losing streak against the Hornets and brings them to 3-1 on the current road trip. The team wraps up the trip Tuesday night in Toronto.

The Hawks face a tough test as they begin a five-game road trip tonight in Milwaukee. Over the course of the next eight days, Atlanta faces the Bucks, Spurs, Pistons, Hornets and Raptors.

Currently, the Hawks are tied with the Magic for first place in the Southeast Division and have managed to win despite serious injuries to Kirk Hinrich and Al Horford. But the majority of those wins have come at home– Atlanta is 8-1 at Philips Arena but only 4-4 on the road.

For Atlanta, it will be the first time the team faces the Bucks, Spurs, Pistons and Hornets this season. In their last game against the Raptors, the Hawks won 93-84. Although the Bucks are only 6-9 on the season, they are coming off a 91-82 win over the Heat. Tonight’s game will be at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich may be available for the team’s upcoming 5-game road trip starting tomorrow night in Milwaukee. Hinrich had surgery on his left shoulder in November. Initial reports had an estimated recovery time of three to four months.

While it is uncertain whether Hinrich will get in a game during the road trip, he’ll travel with the team and hopes to play:

“I hope I’ll be playing sometime on this trip,” he said.

Hinrich’s comeback would bring a much needed spark to the team, particularly in light of Al Horford’s potentially season-ending injury.

The Hawks will play the Bucks, Spurs, Pistons, Hornets and Raptors over the next nine days.

The Hawks have a three-game winning streak since starting forward/center Al Horford went down with a shoulder injury last Wednesday against the Pacers. Atlanta beat the Toronto Raptors 93-84 this afternoon at Philips Arena with big performances from Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Smith led the team with 28 points and 15 rebounds. The 15 rebounds were a season high for Smith.

For the Raptors, Leandro Barbosa led the team in scoring with 22 points off the bench. Toronto was without center Andrea Bargnani, out with a strained left calf.

Since Horford’s injury, Atlanta’s other starters have stepped up and picked up the pace. Horford may miss the remainder of the regular season, and Hawks management has remained tight-lipped about a long-term solution. But in the meantime, it looks like Drew’s current lineup is doing alright for now.

Next Up: The Hawks take on the Blazers at 8 p.m. Wednesday night. The game will be on– wait for it– ESPN! *gasp*