Game 1: Atlanta Hawks Grades & Reactions vs. Washington Wizards

May 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard

(24) shows emotion against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad:

• Then there was the second half, which left much to be desired. Whether adjustments were made by Randy Wittman or the tired legs finally got the better of them, Atlanta couldn’t shoot fish in a barrel. The Wizards perimeter defense vastly improved during the fourth quarter but there were still plenty of missed open looks and they weren’t pretty. Atlanta shot a paltry 25 percent and went 1-10 from three-point range in the final quarter. Wall and Beal’s size proved to be too great and it was like having 5 front court players out there with the way they were rebounding and creating mismatches. Frustration came to a head late when down 4, Atlanta collected five straight offensive rebounds, and came up empty.

• If we could get regular season John Wall, that would be great. He seemed to have shed the sloppy version that endeared so many Hawks fans in the regular season. In four games, he totaled 27 turnovers; ten of which occurred in a meaningless game towards the end where Atlanta rested three starters. Much to our chagrin, he was pretty great on Sunday. He had 18 points, seven boards, 13 assists, and three blocks, the latter the game high for any player. He only turned the ball over twice and was deadly finding open cutters to the basket and creating space for himself for easy jump shots thanks to his large size. For Atlanta to slow him down, they’ll need to force him to scramble with weak side help on the baseline and cornering him away from the basket. Do that, and we could see the John Wall we all know and love.

Next: Hawks Grades: Starters