The fifth seeded Wizards went into Atlanta and upset the Hawks in Game 1 of their series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Winning 3 of 4 games during the regular season meant nothing for Atlanta, as they now lose home-court advantage in the series as they go down 1-0.
Over the last two seasons, Washington has played in four playoff series, all of which were played away from Verizon Center at the beginning, and all of which have resulted in a Wizards win in the first game. The Wizards continue to make history this season by now being the only team to win four straight Game 1’s on the road.
The first half from the Wizards was not impressive as they went into the half down by 10 points. Unlike most times where the Wizards collapse down the stretch after coming out to a strong starts, they chose to play like champions in the second half.
Washington ended up winning both the third and fourth quarters by 8 points each, leading to a 6 point win in Atlanta. The strong finish came even with lots of injuries and a lot of role players receiving more minutes than they usually receive.
While dealing with injuries throughout the game, Bradley Beal continued to amaze in this year’s playoffs as he led the team to the victory. Beal scored a team high 28 points on 9/22 shooting, while also adding in 13 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a steal in 40 minutes of play. Beal was able to play through injuries, and even managed to finish off the game after having to go to the lockerroom with an apparent ankle injury.
With Nene having a tough night, Drew Gooden was able to step up and make the most of his opportunities. Nene failed to score a point, and only grabbed 3 rebounds and a steal. In 14 minutes off the bench, Drew Gooden scored 12 points on 3/6 shooting while also grabbing 5 rebounds and blocking a shot.
On Tuesday, the Wizards must come out to a better start while also continuing to finish strong to take a 2-0 series lead over Atlanta. If the Wizards can put Atlanta away early, they could once again use home court to finish off the series. Tuesday may turn out to be a must-win game for Atlanta, and could also prove to be Washington’s ticket into the Eastern Conference Finals.
