Atlanta Hawks Grades in Game 2 Victory, 96-91

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Apr 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) celebrates his team

The Good:

Will the real Paul Millsap please stand up! Ailing and aching in Game 1, Paul had trouble playing with his normal aggressiveness; the padded shirt obviously made him uncomfortable. In Game 2 Millsap did a complete 180º. He still opted to wear the protection but you wouldn’t realize it with how free he looked flying on both ends of the court. He led the team with 19 points and went 4-4 from the promised land. More importantly, he played his best game since the injury that sidelined him for almost the rest of the regular season. If his play was a glimpse into the near future, Hawks fans have to be pleased going forward. Fully healthy, he’ll provide another interior option to alleviate Horford and draw the defense to collapse to turn out open looks. Coupled with two hard road games ahead, his status is imperative.

In the Playoffs you don’t get anything extra for style points. A win is a win. I’m sure Coach Bud and company would have loved to sustain the big leads they have built upon for brief stints in the game but they have to be satisfied that they accomplished what they had to do and held serve. Take solace in the fact that history is on their side too. Since the format expanded to seven games, teams that start a series up 2-0 have gone on to win it 94% of the time. Sure the big double-digit wins haven’t happened yet but one bright area for these games is Atlanta is getting some experience closing out tight games, a skill set that can be beneficial further along the playoff road.

Fans still bitter about the Atlanta Spirit got a big boost today. It was announced that the group spearheaded by private equity billionaire Antony Ressler and includes former NBA great Grant Hill, were approved for the sale of the franchise, pending league approval. As the franchise rolls into the future, the cloud of uncertainty concerning who would take the keys is finally over. Stability is a beautiful thing.

Next: The Bad