May 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward
Paul Millsap(4) shoots a lay up against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Wizards defeated the Hawks 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
With only a day and a half of rest, the Atlanta Hawks had to make a quick turnaround from their defining opening round series clincher and get ready for a second round battle against the Washington Wizards.
The solid play spilled over to this series…for one half at least. Exploding to 67 first half points, Atlanta’s offense stalled hard while the Wizards looked like a team playing on one weeks rest. In the end the length of the Wizards and exalted energy proved to tough to overcome. Atlanta shot themselves into an early 0-1 hole in the series and will look to rebound in Game 2 on Tuesday at 8 pm.
DeMarre Carroll led all Hawk scorers with 24 and the front court of Al Horford and Paul Millsap gobbled up copious amounts of rebounds (29 between the two) against a vaulted lineup but couldn’t hold on to their double-digit halftime lead. The Wizards were paced by the back court duo of John Wall (18 points) and Bradley Beal (28 points).
The Hawks will look to rest and gather themselves mentally so they can take a game back. Here are the reactions and player games for the Sunday matinée.
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