The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Wizards yesterday at home to even the series at two a piece. Now the series will head to the wizards at home for the next game. It will be difficult to beat the Wizards, who are very good at home.
Momentum has shifted in the Hawks' favor in this series.
Two monster performances by both Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap helped lift the Hawks over the Wizards. The Hawks had a balanced offense, and the Wizards came close a couple of times, but they could not pull ahead of the Hawks' grasp. The Hawks went on big runs to stun the opponent.
They did struggle with offense in the 1st quarter, but picked it up in the 2nd quarter.
It is likely that the Wizards will win, but the game will be close. The Wizards must play good basketball at home to win and get everyone involved in the offense. The Wizards have been in this position many times and have not been able to get it done, but this year is different. Credit of course must be given to the Atlanta Hawks for being resilient and refusing to give up when down 3 games to 1. Turnovers hurt a team and the Wizards had too many turnovers in this game that led to points for the Hawks. There is still hope for the Wizards, though, with Beal playing a good game and bouncing back from a bad game last game having 32 points.
Beal shot a great percentage at 47.8%, going 11 for 23 on offense. Brandon Jennings and Bogdanovic found a good groove offensively, but must do even more for the Wizards to win. Typically, it is tough for a team to win a series when down 3 games to 1. The Hawks knew this and have tied the series to have a greater chance of winning in the playoffs.
The big question lies in whether the Hawks can continue to play well and win one game being at the Wizards' and ultimately beat the Wizards in the series.
Dwight Howard's big performance
Dwight Howard has been struggling during this series, but he stepped up big last night. Howard had 16 points and 15 rebounds. Dwight has not been playing well this whole series, but yesterday he caused havoc in the paint, going for loose balls and dunking.
Kent Bazemore threw a couple of good lobs to Howard for the jam.
Paul Millsap lifts Hawks over the Wizards
Paul Millsap the past two games has been killing the Wizards. Game 4 was no different. He was making shots while being fouled at crucial moments. There was a lot of rumor and speculation about the Hawks trying to get rid of Paul Millsap earlier in the season. Millsap has proven his worth in this playoff series and is a key component to why the Hawks won last night. He put extreme pressure on the defense and put Markieff Morris into foul trouble to get him out of the game earlier than expected. Morris must figure out a way to guard Millsap or they could lose possibly lose the series. Millsap is a key part to the Hawks success.
Jose Calderon- The veteran sparks the Wizards
Jose Calderon also had a big game against the Wizards with 10 points and 5 assists. He did a good job on the defensive end and on setting up teammates for open looks. He even tipped a ball in the paint to go in on the offensive glass. He is a veteran who was released by the Knicks and has found a new home with the Hawks.
