Hawks Take Down Wizards 111-101, Even Series At 2-2

Hawks
Dennis Schroder’s 18 points were a big factor in a game four win for the Atlanta Hawks (Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)

Game four of a seven-game series often gives a clear indication of who has the momentum and a lot of times correlates directly to who comes out on top, especially when the count is 2-1 coming in. After an impressive outing in game three that got them their first victory of the series, the Atlanta Hawks were able to come out on top over the Washington Wizards again in game four and even the series at two games apiece with a huge 111-101 win.

Unlike in their previous game, the Wizards were able to get off to a torrid start instead of a sluggish one, putting up 35 points in the first quarter to Atlanta’s 28. After a dismal 6-20 showing from the field in game three, Bradley Beal didn’t let his struggles waver his confidence as the young two guard came out aggressive in the first and finished with 32 points.

While Beal shouldered the load for Washington, the two teams traded punches until John Wall decided to take over for Washington and led them to an 11-0 first quarter spurt to give them the edge at the break.

While guard Brandon Jennings brought a spark to the Wizards’ bench unit for the second consecutive game to kick off the second quarter, it was this period in which the tide began to turn and Atlanta began to put the hammer down. Washington went cold offensively, including their star backcourt and their bench play was matched and then some by backup guards Jose Calderon and Kent Bazemore for Atlanta. Bazemore has had the ability to go off in spurts before and he was heated up all game, putting up 16 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds in just 24 minutes. While veteran big Dwight Howard didn’t play much in the second half which is becoming a trend, he did some damage before the halftime break, dominating on the interior on both ends. Regardless, the first half saw the Hawks role players such as Bazemore, Howard, and even Taurean Prince lead Atlanta to a 31-16 edge in the second quarter and a 59-50 lead at the half.

The second half saw Washington make a couple of scattered runs, but the Hawks were able to hold them off each time they made a surge. The interior dominance and toughness Atlanta’s frontcourt brought was too much for Marcin Gortat and the foul-riddled Markieff Morris to handle tonight.

The fourth quarter saw the Hawks’ stars finish off the job, as Dennis Schroder upped his aggressiveness and Paul Millsap scored 10 of his 19 points in the final stanza, including a circus and-one at a crucial juncture of the game.

For Washington, John Wall put up a decent stat line of 22 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds but did so on paltry 7-19 shooting and committed a back breaking 6 turnovers. Beal had a 30-point outing, however, he missed a myriad of open looks in the fourth quarter that could’ve swung the momentum of the game and finished 5-14 from distance.

On the other hand for Atlanta, Dwight Howard put up a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds while Schroder chipped in 18 and Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 15.

Now with the series knotted even at 2, the series turns to a best of three with two of those games coming in the nation’s capital. If Washington wants to get back in the driver’s seat of this series, Wall and Beal will need more help from their talented supporting cast. For Atlanta, they need to focus on doing what they do best which is play a fundamentally strong all-around game and dominate the interior. A potentially series-defining game five lies ahead in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

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Lead NBA Writer for Def Pen

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