Game 5: Send the Wizards A Message
Going forward, the Atlanta Hawks have an opportunity to take what they learned in Washington D.C. and apply it to the rest of the series. They know now they have to play Mike Muscala. They know now the bench has to be trusted. They know now the two point guard offense with Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder is successful in pushing the Wizards into a defense they are not skilled at executing. They know now Jeff Teague must leave his imprint on the game, regardless of his scoring. Add to that mix, Paul Millsap’s leadership and toughness inside, Al Horford’s midrange and a sharing offense, and you have a continuing recipe for success.
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Home court doesn’t mean much in the second round of the playoffs. The teams are just too good. The coaches are skilled at taking something away. The players can perform under pressure and handle adversity. It is chess, not checkers.
Nevertheless, the Hawks coming home after winning a game in D.C. gives them confidence. Their play in front of their home crowd has been spectacular all year long and it shouldn’t change on Wednesday night. The Hawks have to play as if everything is on the line because, frankly, it is.
If the Hawks lose, the Wizards have a close-out game on their home floor. If the Hawks win, they have an opportunity to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams have as much to lose as they have to gain; the pressure is equally divided. It will come down to execution.
For the Hawks, the continuing question is how much can they expect from Kyle Korver?
Korver has been uncharacteristically mediocre in all facets of the game. His shot is not falling but that is a side issue. He’s not taking shots, he lacks aggression. Part of the problem is having to guard a scorer like Bradley Beal and the fatigue it brings. In multiple moments in D.C., Korver looked particularly old, like a 34 year old charged with the task of trying to stop a 21 year old and then having that same 21 year old attached to him like glue. Because Korver is a veteran shooter, he understands scoring is physics, the ebb and flow is constant. Randomly shots clank off the rim just as, beautifully, they swish through the net.
May 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) shoots against the Washington Wizards during the second half in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 106-90. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Wizards have been selective in their assignments. Their number one priority to take Korver out of the offense is their most consistent strategy. No other Hawk is guarded like Korver.
The Wizards are willing, and often begging Horford to take dozens of mid-range shots. They cover their eyes when Ramon Sessions is trying to stop Teague’s penetration. Nene is hopeless against Millsap. But, Korver is like a disease the Wizards believe will make them sick. They chase him and push him through defenders and always have a hand in his face.
On the other hand, Mike Budenholzer has yet to figure out how to stop the Wizards offense. Paul Pierce is having a monster series. Bradley Beal set a career mark for playoff scoring. Ramon Sessions has put in good work replacing John Wall and Will Bynum is doing things when his name is called.
The Wizards are destroying the Hawks from the perimeter, shooting an unholy 42% from three, most of which are wide open looks off of hellacious Nene screens.
In Game 4, the Hawks best defense was the Wizards offense: let Beal become a volume shooter. He will get tired.
John Wall may make his first appearance since Game 1 as the swelling in his hand has reduced enough for him to dribble the basketball. If only it was that simple. It is not just dribbling but having a grip and passing the ball with velocity and withstanding the torture when one of the Hawks guards reaches in or even when Wall reaches in on Teague for a steal with one hand and his injured hand gets in the way. It’s hard to see how much he can give the Wizards outside of being inspiring with his presence. If he does play, the minutes will be vastly reduced. He hasn’t played in eleven days.
After Saturday night’s game, a relieved and proud Paul Millsap sat in the interview room and summed up what happened. He noted it was the best game the Hawks had played in the playoffs. They hadn’t faced this type of pressure all year long, a must win game, a get-back-to-the-basics scenario. It was, he noted, perfection made possible by the details.
"“The way we played defense, the way we stepped up, the way we helped each other, the way we moved the basketball, the way we set screens.”"
Yes. Exactly. More of that. Please.