NBA Playoffs 2015: Who Has the Edge in Monday's Crucial Game 4 Contests?

NBA playoff action continues Monday night in Washington and Memphis as two second-round matchups reach tipping points in their respective Game 4 clashes.

Sunday’s Game 4’s featured buzzer-beaters and blowouts as the Cleveland Cavaliers brought their series even and the Los Angeles Clippers jumped out to a two-game lead over the Houston Rockets. What will Monday night hold as the Washington Wizards battle the Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Golden State Warriors?

Both the Wizards and Grizzlies have a 2-1 series lead over their opponents following home victories on Saturday. But does that necessarily mean they have the edge over their opponents heading into the next game?

Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks

Paul Pierce’s game-winning shot as the clock hit zero sent the nation’s capital into a frenzy as the Wizards beat the top seed in the Eastern Conference, 103-101.

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Paul Pierce asked if he called bank on his game WINNER: "I called GAME." https://t.co/yNYuO8Mzx3 #WizardsNation

— O]ne[M]ajor[F]amily (@DMV_Nation) May 10, 2015"

Washington led by 21 points with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, but Atlanta fought back to tie the game following Mike Muscala’s three-pointer with 14.1 seconds left. Then The Truth halted the comeback by nailing a jumper amid three defenders.

Despite the late-game heroics, Atlanta still holds a slight edge over Washington heading to the Verizon Center due to John Wall’s absence. The All-Star point guard suffered five non-displaced fractures in the first game of the series, and though CSN Washington’s Ben Standig reports he’s a game-time decision, he also notes Wall “can still not handle the basketball ball with his fractured left hand and wrist.”

Atlanta’s climb back from the 21-point deficit reflects on Washington’s lack of a go-to scorer. Replacement point guard Ramon Sessions finished with eight points, shooting only 2-of-10 from the floor.

Wall may still be a vocal figure on the sideline, but the Wizards could have used his ability to get to the rim and force points when they've struggled down the stretches of games.

Without Wall, the Wizards are forced to rely on the 37-year-old Pierce to continue producing his youthful performances.

Second-year Otto Porter Jr. also played the most minutes of both teams (40) and contributed 17 points Saturday. In the last two games, Porter posted 32 points. But how much can the Wizards rely on a player who only averaged six points during the regular season?

On Atlanta’s side, Mike Budenholzer hopes his team ignores the last shot of the game and continues their form from their 17-0 run in the fourth quarter.

“The way that the group that finished played, we’re going to have to play more like that for 48 minutes,” Budenholzer told reporters, via the Washington Post’s Gene Wang.

Atlanta’s starters are shooting 39.8 percent from the field and only 31.1 percent from three-point range. Heading into Game 4, look for Kyle Korver to be more aggressive. Korver only took four three-pointers Saturday night, but the veteran shooting guard has averaged nearly 10 three-point attempts so far this postseason.

The Hawks need to shake their cold streak in order to top the Wall-less Wizards Monday night. Atlanta went 22-5 when Korver made four or more three-pointers in the regular season, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

This held true in Atlanta’s only win of the series so far: Korver drained four shots from behind the arc in the Hawks' 106-90 win over Washington in Game 2.

Prediction: Atlanta wins 104-95

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors find themselves in danger of a second-round exit despite leading the NBA with 67 wins in the regular season. The Grizzlies showed their experience in Game 3, beating Golden State, 99-89.

The Grizzlies’ big men came to play Saturday night as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol scored 22 points and 21 points, respectively.

On top of their offensive output, the Grizzlies also contained Golden State’s dynamite offense the past two games. Memphis held the Warriors to 90 points in Game 2 and 89 points in Game 3. Golden State averaged 110 points per game during the regular seasons and 102 so far this postseason.

The Grizzlies play great team defense with a swagger based on shutting down their opponents. This defensive pride came out in Game 2 in Tony Allen’s “First-team All-Defense” chant.

However, the Warriors will always be the favorites in this series as long as Stephen Curry laces up his shoes. The MVP struggled badly in Game 2, shooting only 8-of-21 from the floor including 2-of-10 from behind the arc.

Golden State relies heavily on the three-point shot and converted only 23.1 percent on Saturday night. Memphis’ strong defense is undeniable, but Golden State lacked confidence in Game 2 as well.

Following his poor performance, Curry expects to refocus and step up his game heading into tonight’s bout with Memphis.

“I have to play better, for sure. There’s no question about that,” Curry said, according to SFGate.com’s Rusty Simmons. “I found decent shots that I expected to go in. That’s not going to waver my confidence, at all, but I have to play better for us to win games, especially on the road.”

Golden State’s offense centered on ball movement and creating open looks all season. However, the Warriors' lack of playoff experience showed last game, as they got away from their usual game plan.

“We were too emotional. We were too quick with our intention to score," Steve Kerr said, according to ESPN.com’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss. “Instead of just moving the ball and setting good screens, everyone was trying to do everything frantically on their own.”

The pressure will fall on Curry's shoulders, but he showed during the regular season that he possesses the ability to break down Memphis' defense. The 27-year-old point guard averaged 24 points and shot 47.4 percent from the floor through the Warriors' three regular-season games with the Grizzlies.

The top seed in the Western Conference knows the importance of leaving FedExForum with a win Monday night.

“It’s not a must-win, but it’s pretty freaking close,” Klay Thompson said, according to Yahoo’s Taylor Bechtold.

Prediction: Golden State Warriors win 100-98