Arguably, one of the more exciting second round playoff series came to an end last night with the Atlanta Hawks prevailing over the Washington Wizards 94-91. In another exciting game with another exciting finish this series proved to be one of the most intriguing and exciting series of the 2015 playoffs.
With the Hawks leading the series 3-2 they went into Washington looking to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in team history. The game started with the aggressive Hawks jumping out to an early 7-point lead, with Paul Milsap doing some early work on the inside. However the Wizards responded well and took a 1-point lead going into the 2nd quarter on a lay up by Kevin Seraphin. For the Hawks Jeff Teague set the tempo early and often but really stepped on the gas in the 4th quarter where he had a series of dazzling moves in the paint that swung the momentum back in the favor of the Hawks. The Hawks got a huge contribution from forward DeMarre Carroll he finished the night with 25 points and 10 rebounds really putting his mark on this series and in these playoffs. He has been a star for this team that has not defined one on their roster. Kyle Korver had another pedestrian night he finished with 2 points on 1-8 shooting and missing on all his 3point attempts. He has been in a struggle in this 2nd round matchup mainly because of defensive duties against the Wizards Bradley Beal.
The Wizards offensive relied heavily on their dynamic backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wall finished with 20points and 13 assists while Beal finished the game with 29 points and 6 rebounds. Once again the Wizards did not get much from their frontcourt, Nene and Gortat together only tallied 7 points and could not control the paint, they allowed constant forays to the basket by the Hawks guards. Kevin Seraphin chipped in with 13 points and 8 rebounds coming off the bench.
The magic in this game began in the 3rd quarter, the Hawks were up by 15 points but the Wizards came storming back throughout the third and fourth quarters. Bradley Beal had huge buckets in the 4th hitting tough jump shots and really putting the pressure on the defense of the Hawks. The Wizards pulled to within 1 point after John Wall steal led to a fast break dunk by Beal. The Wizards then took the lead on a jump shot by Beal late in the 4th. Then after a few free throws and a turnover by the Hawks Kyle Korver the Wizards tried to make their move. Down by 3 they went to a familiar face, Paul Pierce who in game 3 hit a dagger at the buzzer to seal the victory. With precious seconds ticking away the ball landed in Pierce’s hands, he took a step back 3 and hit the shot as the buzzer sounded however this night there would be no heroics. After review the shot was waived off as the ball was still in Pierce’s hands at the buzzer bringing an end to the Wizards season.
The Hawks now move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers and the mighty LeBron James, while the Wizards should look to improve on this great season and amazing playoff run.
Sherman Gomez: PureSportsNY