Game 4: Atlanta Hawks Grades & Reactions vs. Brooklyn Nets

Apr 27, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard

(0) reaches for the net during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at Barclays Center. Brooklyn Nets won 120-115 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Good:

• Dormant during the entire post-season, the offense finally erupted and stayed throughout Game 4. In the first three games of the series, the Hawks shot just a hair above 39%; tonight it was 48.4%. Good balance between the inside outside game too. Double-digit three bells rung at a 39% clip and it complemented nicely with the 60 paint points put up. This is also the first time during the whole playoffs that the Hawks have eclipsed the century mark for points in a game. Even with the loss, this is a step in the right direction going forward as every point will be crucial to close this series out.

• Aggressiveness on the glass spurred said offense. Clearly the desire to not get repeatedly bested on the boards rang clearly in the players’ minds tonight. By a considerable margin the rebounding battle was won by the birds 55 to 40. Millsap and Korver each had at least ten, with DeMarre Carroll just one shy of joining his double-digit brethren. A lot of the damage came on the offensive side. The rotations and positioning made second chance opportunities prevalent off of missed layups and runners. Coach Bud must have been pleased with the effort to corral so many loose balls as they not only led to easy putbacks but ignited the up-tempo style that improved the offense.

Next: The Bad