Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: Game 4 vs. Washington Wizards

The Atlanta Hawks will battle the Washington Wizards tonight in Game 4 of their first round playoff series. Can they grab control of the series?

The Atlanta Hawks picked up a much-needed Game 3 victory on Saturday afternoon. They controlled the game from the opening tip and essentially dominated the Washington Wizards. It was a surprise to anyone that had watched the first two games of this series.

I think most pundits, and even Hawks fans, were beginning to think Atlanta might get swept. That’s not going to happen.

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The Hawks have absorbed Washington’s opening punches and are finally starting to punch back. This is a real fight now, not the one-sided affair it appeared to be initially.

The hate is building between the Hawks and Wizards. The Southeast Division “rivals” might actually be turning into real rivals.

The playoffs have a way of making that happen. Just look at Hawks Twitter when the Boston Celtics play literally anyone.

These two teams also like to engage in a little playful trash talk, both on and off the court. That helps stoke the fire. After Atlanta’s Game 3 win, Markieff Morris expressed his displeasure Paul Millsap.

Apparently Morris thinks Millsap is a bit of a whiner. Here’s what Morris said to the media after Game 3. The following quotes come from Candace Buckner’s piece in the Washington Post.

"“Good game. He did more for his team tonight. Me as a man, you know, you take your wins with your losses and I take my wins with my losses all the time.” Morris said. “You know, he did more for his team. He’s a crybaby. You get all the calls and you a crybaby. That’s how I’m looking at it.”"

I guess Morris does not agree that it’s not very nice to call people names. That’s his right. This series is really heating up. Players trading barbs through the media is an underrated part of the NBA Playoffs experience. Being nice to your opponent isn’t quite as fun.

Millsap did not hesitate to fire back with a comment that should soon be put on a t-shirt. It’s arguably as good as David Fizdale’s “take that for data!”. It’s a little wordy, but wouldn’t this look good across the chest of every single fan in Philips Arena tonight? Millsap’s quote comes from Chris Vivlamore’s recap in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"“It definitely got personal now, yes,” Millsap said. “I don’t care. So what. Take his loss and go back to the hotel and be ready for the next game.”"

It would have to be edited slightly. The phrase “Take Your L And Go Back To The Hotel” might work. Millsap’s reaction to learning Morris had made those comments was also priceless. I don’t care that he’s almost 32-years-old. This man is an Atlanta treasure. Give him a max deal (I’m only half kidding).

extended version pic.twitter.com/VsJXrgMZyx
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) April 23, 2017

Millsap dominated on the court in Game 3, and that’s what matters most.

Millsap finished the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists on 12-for-20 shooting. Compare that to Morris’ line of nine points and six rebounds on 4-for-14 shooting. Morris was limited to just 29 minutes after committing five fouls. It’s hard to blame him for his heated post-game comments. I’d be salty too after a performance like that.

The battle of the point guards also got heated in Game 3. John Wall and Dennis Schroder famously have engaged in a little on the court banter this series. Schroder commented to the media on how hard it is to resist the urge to engage in friendly trash talk with Wall. Quotes from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"“He talking,” Schroder said. “I like it. We are competing. I think he is the best. We are doing the same thing. Coach doesn’t want me to talk like that. He wants me to be like San Antonio and Kawhi Leonard. I like to talk as well. Sometimes you have to be bigger than that. Think about the team. Every game I give everything I have to defend him. It’s tough. Thirty-five minutes he runs up the court and does all these things. I’m going to keep trying.”"

Despite the talk, there still seems to be a mutual respect between the two players. Schroder has even said that he wants to work out with Wall during the upcoming offseason. Schroder remains one of the most thoughtful and interesting players on the Hawks.

In Game 3, Wall got the better of their matchup, but not by much. Wall ended his night with 29 points and seven assists on 10-for-12 shooting. Schroder nearly matched him with 27 points and nine assists on 10-for-22 shooting.

Washington’s biggest problem was the lack of offensive help for Wall. Bradley Beal struggled with his jumper, scoring just 12 points and failing to make a single three-pointer. Washington shot just 41.6 percent from the floor and 24.1 percent from outside.

Atlanta’s defense did a good job of getting the ball out of Wall’s hands and forcing his teammates into taking bad shots. Despite his 29-point effort, Wall only took 12 shots. Atlanta’s defense deserves credit for that. They also got lucky. Beal in particular missed several open shots. Sometimes a game comes down to who can make more open shots. On Saturday, that team was the Atlanta Hawks.

We have arrived at an extremely important Game 4. A Hawks win would tie the series at 2-2, giving the Hawks a fresh slate as the series shifts back to D.C. A Hawks loss would put the series at 3-1 in Washington’s favor, giving the Wizards a chance to close the series out at home in Game 5.

I think Washington wins this game behind another brilliant performance from Wall and Beal. I’d love to be proven wrong. A seven game series is what the people want. Or, you know, if the Hawks want to win three games in a row to wrap things up in six that would also be acceptable.

Strap in for another battle.

Next: Hawks/Wizards: Game 4 Matchup To Watch

Who: Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks

Series: 2-1 Wizards

When: 8:00 PM EST, Monday, April 24th, 2017

Where: Philips Arena

How: TNT/Fox Sports Southeast

Prediction: Wizards 102 Hawks 98

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