Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game 2 Grades and Analysis
The Atlanta Hawks outlasted the Washington Wizards 106-90 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday at Philips Arena.
Though the team received a little help from the injury bug, Atlanta evened the series at 1-1 behind a 22-point effort from DeMarre Carroll.
Wizards point guard John Wall was sidelined due to a wrist injury suffered in Game 1. Since the series takes a three-day break, he's likely to be available for Game 3.
The Hawks used a 26-15 advantage during the fourth quarter to pull away from Washington, who committed 16 turnovers on the night.
Ramon Sessions led the Wizards with 21 points.
| Bradley Beal | B |
| Paul Pierce | B- |
| Marcin Gortat | C- |
| Ramon Sessions | B |
| Rest of Team | C- |
| Paul Millsap | A- |
| DeMarre Carroll | B+ |
| Jeff Teague | C |
| Kyle Korver | B |
| Rest of Team | A |
Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal: B
Wall's injury nudged Bradley Beal into the featured-scorer role, and the sharpshooter performed adequately—not great, but solid. He connected on eight of 22 shots from the field, burying 2-of-3 beyond the arc.
Beal still has a propensity for hoisting mid-range jumpers, even when he has a favorable matchup, and that halted a handful of possessions. He only went 5-of-14 outside the lane, recording 20 points.
Paul Pierce: B-
Those old knees were crying for help, but Paul Pierce managed to slowly drift around the perimeter and find open looks. More importantly for short-handed Washington, he knocked them down.
Granted, what else did we expect? That's why they got him here. Pierce connected on five of his eight attempts from long distance, which accounted for all 15 points. He also snagged five rebounds.
Marcin Gortat: C-
It wasn't all bad for Marcin Gortat—well, basketball-wise it wasn't very good. He provided one of the funnier moments of the night:
But the Hawks' frontcourt made it difficult for Gortat, who fouled out of the contest with 4:26 remaining. He must be a bigger part of the offense moving forward, particularly in screen-and-roll situations. Gortat tallied 10 points and nine rebounds.
Ramon Sessions: B
Veteran backup Ramon Sessions stepped in for Wall, logging just his fourth start of the season for Washington. After a mediocre first half, Sessions took over in the third quarter and tallied 10 points to keep the Wizards close.
He scored four more during the final frame, ending his night with a season-best 21. Washington needs similar production from Sessions when Wall returns, only from a reserve role.
Rest of Team: C-
Otto Porter picked up some of the slack, pouring in 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting. He also snatched eight boards, dished five assists and grabbed three steals.
The Wizards need massive improvement from Nene, who's largely been a non-factor in two games. He went 0-of-5 from the field, with his only two points coming from the free-throw line.
Atlanta Hawks
Paul Millsap: A-
Washington simply doesn't match up well with Paul Millsap, especially considering Nene's recent struggles. Millsap posted 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 38 minutes.
Millsap also rifled a particularly impressive left-handed pass to Pero Antic for a corner three. There aren't many NBA power forwards who could match that.
DeMarre Carroll: B+
Carroll is proving to be the breakout star of the playoffs. The small forward registered his sixth consecutive 20-point game, finishing with 22 on the night.
Although he was caught supplying held defense for a few moments too long on a few occasions, Carroll pestered Washington throughout the game. He added six rebounds, four assists and one steal.
Jeff Teague: C
Atlanta's ball movement created plenty of open shots, but once again, a majority of them didn't fall. Jeff Teague was a major contributor to those misses, finishing a mediocre 3-of-12 overall.
He clanged all three triples, including an uncontested attempt from straight on that likely would've provided the dagger. Teague tallied nine points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Kyle Korver: B
The first 24 minutes weren't a pleasant experience for Kyle Korver, who watched six of his seven three-pointers bounce off the mark. The second half was a different story, though. He splashed a pair of long-distance shots in four tries, one of which effectively sealed the victory.
However, Washington exploited Korver's slow feet defensively by forcing Atlanta to rotate and help, subsequently leaving a guard—or Pierce—open at the perimeter. Korver must find a way to find through screens more efficiently.
Rest of Team: A
Al Horford filled up the stat sheet to the tune of 18 points, six assists, four boards, three steals and two blocks. Antic found himself in a bit of foul trouble early but still chipped in eight points and three boards.
Kent Bazemore was outstanding off the bench. The left-hander drilled a pair of threes, attacked the rim in transition and swatted Porter, recording 10 points and shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field.
Heading into the night, Dennis Schroder had committed 2.4 turnovers per night in the playoffs. Tuesday, he protected the ball, racking up nine points, five rebounds, four assists and zero giveaways.
What's Next?
The series heads to the nation's capital on Saturday, May 9, at 5 p.m. ET. ESPN will broadcast the pivotal matchup.
Atlanta is seeking its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance, while Washington hasn't advanced that far in the postseason since 1978-79 when the franchise was nicknamed the Bullets.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
