The Atlanta Hawks didn’t view themselves as a desperate team coming into game 4. They viewed themselves as a team that had to get back to basics and play with an attacking style that carried them to 60 wins.
On Monday night, their confidence was on display as it was a no-holes barred, can you stop our offense, kind of performance. By the time the game was five minutes old, the Hawks had displayed a resolve that had been missing for most of game 3. In game 4, the Hawks wanted a fight and were going to stick around to the very end to finish it off.
Good or bad, the Hawks are a team that generates faith in themselves when their offense is shared. They are moving parts, and, at the same time, they are one particular thing. It was Paul Millsap who set the tone in the first quarter, restoring whatever lost confidence the Hawks may have had in the two days since Saturday and that Paul Pierce dagger to the throat.
But it was Jeff Teague who controlled tempo, used his aggression as a weapon, made shots, disarmed the Wizards, and frankly showed he and Ramon Sessions don’t belong in the same conversation. Teague had 26 points on 45% shooting, 50% from three, 86% from the free throw line, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 turnover.
May 11, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Nene (42) defends in the second quarter in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
In game 3, Paul Millsap was suffering from a flu bug. Withdrawn from a lack of energy, the rest of the team fed off of his listlessness and it took a miraculous quarter by the bench to recover.
On Monday night, with Millsap as the leader and alpha dog and pace setter, the Hawks were an inside-out team, less romantic about the three point shot, devoted to scoring in the paint.
The Hawks had 65 points at half. The three stars for the Hawks- Millsap, Teague and Al Horford- shot 71% in the first 24 minutes. The points in the paint opened up the Hawks perimeter shooting. By game’s end, the Hawks made 47% of their threes and, in a reversal of identity, took 7 less threes than the Wizards.
Millsap had one of those SportsCenter/highlight moments. It was a reverse layup in the lane that even made Millsap smile and say, Whoa! “You never know what is going to happen on the court. I really wanted to go up and dunk it but it wasn’t there.” The shot, though, only counted for two points (plus a free throw). The disadvantage going up against Nene and Marcin Gortat is part of Millsap’s strategy.
"“Al (Horford) and I all year have had to play smarter. We’re not going to be more physical. Those guys are stronger. We know how to play smarter.”"
Millsap’s first quarter was a doctoral dissertation in execution and intensity.
- Layup (10:25)
- Layup (9:09)
- Rebound (7:40)
- Driving layup (7:53)
- Rebound (5:00)
- Rebound (3:58)
For most of the game, the Hawks were able to get whatever shot they wanted. And because no team is ever perfect, the Hawks defense left a lot to be desired from the perimeter. Martin Gortat and Nene were physical in their screens, giving Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce open looks. Coming off of his game winner and the ensuing arrogance that makes Paul Pierce the Hall of Fame scorer that he is, Pierce made his first five three point shots and appeared unstoppable.
On the other hand, Kyle Korver struggled again, looking very much like a 34 year old as Beal was guarding him, shadowing Korver everywhere he went. Korver has to guard Beal as well which may have sapped some of his energy and be responsible for his low production. Beal said, “I hate when Korver touches the ball. I hate it.”
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The Wizards trailed by 10 at the half and made an early push in the third quarter because of missed Hawks shots and turnovers but Atlanta responded to every Wizards run and in the fourth quarter they maintained a cushion thanks in large part to Jeff Teague who carried the team. Millsap was in foul trouble and Teague, who had been counseled by Nick Van Exel and Mike Bibby to be aggressive, was short on emotion but willfully dedicated to being the best player on the court. Teague scored from the perimeter and in the lane, he sank free throws. Before Monday night, Teague had a tough series shooting the ball but all that was forgotten by the time the fourth quarter came to a close.
3 pointer
(1:12)
May 11, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (4) battle for a rebound in the first quarter in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
No Wizard could defend Teague. As for the Hawks, they kept Martin Gortat in check. He was 1-7. Nene had 12 points but they were scattered over the four quarters; they were hardly impactful. Otto Porter, who had been killing the Hawks with his rebounding and perimeter scoring, fell back to earth. He made one shot in the game. Same with Drew Gooden.
The Wizards bench had 17 points, highlighted by some good work by Will Bynum, but their bench’s lack of production put pressure on Bradley Beal to be a superstar scorer which is not his identity and he tired in the fourth quarter.
Al Horford appears to have recovered from his dislocated finger. His mid-range shot was working and he was big on the boards, leading all players with 10 rebounds. He finished up with 18 points. Dennis Schroder had Dennis moments, especially in the late stages of the 4th quarter when he refused to give up the ball, and worse, put up awful shots that led to Wizards rebounds and a chance to tie the game. But Schroder also had good moments driving the ball, making threes, and remaining patient.
And so this is where we are after four games in two cities, over nine days. All tied up. The Hawks are still in control with a big game left on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 series lead. They learned some things tonight about their ability to climb back from adversity, to punch the Wizards in the mouth. To assert their muscle as a great offensive team. Now the next question is: can they close?