Game 2: Atlanta Hawks Grades & Reactions vs. Brooklyn Nets

Apr 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward

(6) defends Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad:

• Yes, style points ultimately don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but they start some very pressing arguments. The Nets are being rather pesky after backing into the post season and their spunk is concerning because they realize there isn’t a target on their back. Atlanta again started off hot, at one point 27-15 in the first, and allowed Brooklyn to squirm back into the fold. Sandwiched in between that and the final horn, Atlanta had stretches where they went ice-cold and didn’t look like the team that were taking names all throughout January. The Nets have adjusted and benefitted from their slow pace, trapping Atlanta into slow motion from their unbridled movement. With the crowd noise switching to the negative, point separation comes at more of a premium.

• The rebounding battle, as expected, went advantage Brooklyn. The Hawks have been undone by 16 on the glass over these last two games thanks to the size of their bigs. Now you can add their guards to the mix. Deron Williams didn’t have a great scoring night but he found a way to grab 10 rebounds; Jarrett Jack managed to collect five. Brooklyn’s activity on the glass is 1-5 deep which causes more headaches to the Hawks, who elect to sacrifice the rebound so the speedier guards can regroup and snuff out transitional threats. Rebounding has been a problem area all season and that can hopefully change with minor tweaks without sacrificing the defense.

Next: Grades: The Starters?