Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards: Game 6 Grades and Analysis
The Atlanta Hawks survived a late comeback attempt Friday night to beat the Washington Wizards 94-91. The win earns them a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they'll take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks' official Twitter feed highlighted the win:
The night began slow for both teams but certainly picked up as the game progressed. The Hawks' starting five established strong leads for the team, but Washington's backcourt and bench kept things interesting.ย
Bradley Beal, who led Washington's fourth-quarter push, led all scorers with 29.
Despite the comeback and a final-second scare as Paul Pierce's potential game-tying buzzer beater was ultimately waved off, the Hawks were able to seal the series behind strong nights from Jeffย Teague, Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll.
| Paul Millsap | B+ |
| Jeff Teague | A |
| DeMarre Carroll | A |
| Al Horford | B |
| Rest of Team | D- |
| John Wall | B+ |
| Bradley Beal | A- |
| Paul Pierce | D |
| Otto Porter | B+ |
| Rest of Team | C- |
Atlanta Hawks
Paul Millsap: B+
After both teams hobbled through the opening quarter, Paul Millsap was the first player to explode, hitting his stride in the second period and setting the tone for an improved offensive attack from Atlanta's starters for the remainder of the game.ย
Millsap scored 10 in the period, including seven straight for the Hawks. He finished with 20 and added 13 rebounds.ย
He looked active defensively, and despite going just 7-of-20 from the floor, Millsap was integral as a scoring spark for a team that badly needed one after an awful first quarter.
Jeff Teague: A
Jeff Teague began the game on the wrong foot, struggling to get off good shots and looking careless with the ball. However, he turned things around quickly, finishing the night with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Once he hit his stride, Teague was dynamic in every offensive aspect. He shot the ball well from deep and attacked the rim hard. Any explosion that was seemingly missing entering the night returned by the game's end, as Teague powered the starting lineup's offense admirably.
He added seven assists and five rebounds in a bounce-back performance after struggling throughout the series.
DeMarre Carroll: A
DeMarre Carroll has a well-defined role within the Hawks' system, and he executed it perfectly in Game 6.
He pitched in defensively and on the boards (two steals, 10 rebounds), but he found the most success on the offensive end from beyond the arc. Carroll scored 25, shooting 9-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep.ย
Pierce looked incapable of stopping him, as Carroll enjoyed one of his best offensive outings of the season.ย
Al Horford: B
It wasn't a standout game for Al Horford, but he certainly didn't do anything to hurt Atlantaโaside from a missed free throw that could have sealed the game.ย
Still, he scored 13 on efficient shooting and added seven boards. His defense was top-notch, as he helped keep Washington's bigs silent throughout the night.
Nonetheless, Millsap, Teague and Carroll were the Hawks' offensive leaders, with Horford taking a background role.ย
Rest of Team: D-
Kyle Korver was the starting lineup's odd man out Friday night, going 1-of-8 from the floor and 0-of-7 from deep, as Carroll took over as the team's primary deep threat.
As for the second unit...
Yuck.
That's the only way to explain the atrocious performance from the Hawks bench. Dennis Schroder was the only notable second-unit player, and it was not for good reason. He finished with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting, as his up-and-down playoff campaign continued.
The bench was consistently outplayed by Washington's dynamic reserve duo of Otto Porter and Kevin Seraphin and was the primary reason behind Atlanta's inability to run away with the lead.
Washington Wizards
John Wall: B+
Playing through injury, John Wall finished with an extremely impressive line after an up-and-down Game 5 return on Wednesday. He finished with 20 points on 7-of-21 shooting and added 13 assists.
Wall was active on both ends of the court, but he looked especially impressive attacking the rim and creating opportunities for both himself and his teammates.
His facilitating aptitude helped spark Washington's fourth-quarter comeback, and while Bradley Beal may have led the comeback, Wall deserves praise as the primary reason for Washington's ability to remain within reach, despite poor team play.
Bradley Beal: A-
Bradley Beal began the game as Washington's top scorer, and after disappearing in the middle quarters, he resumed his stellar play in the final period. He scored 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting (3-of-8 from deep) and was the backbone behind the Wizards' late attempt at a comeback.
He made big plays on both ends, and while his rough shooting clip in the second and third quarters certainly can't be ignored, Beal's Game 6 performance is a good indication of what Washington can expect from its young shooting guard in future seasons.ย
Paul Pierce: Dย
Paul Pierce has been otherwordly in the 2015 postseason, but his tank appeared empty Friday night as he struggled mightily on both ends of the floor. His sole moment of glory came in the closing moment, as he hit what initially seemed to beย anotherย buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime before a second look revealed that his release was late.
Finally looking like a 37-year-old, Pierce struggled to get anything going offensively.ย His jumpers were off the mark, and he looked unable to get to the rim. Defensively, he proved to be a liability as Atlanta based a good portion of its third-quarter offense around attacking Pierce.
Ultimately, he finished with just four points on 1-of-7 shootingโa rough finish to an otherwise impressive series.
Otto Porter: B+
Like Pierce, Otto Porter has taken his game to new heights this playoff season. However, unlike the veteran small forward, the 21-year-old up-and-comer continued his impressive play in Game 6.
Attacking the rim and boards relentlessly, Porter seemed to be playing 10 times harder than anyone on the court, and his effort paid off. The Wizards' second unit kept the team within striking distance throughout the night, and the young forward was without question the bench's star.
In addition to his expected defensive contributions, Porter looked good offensively. Though he scored just seven on 3-of-9 shooting, he created opportunities for his teammates and added six offensive rebounds.
Rest of Team: C-
Kevin Seraphin joined Porter as one of Washington's stars in the second unit, finishing the night with 13 points and eight rebounds. He saw his fair share of time, with both of the Wizards' go-to bigs struggling from the onset.
Marcin Gortat and Nene looked awful, with the former scoring just two points and grabbing just three boards in 12 minutes while the latter shot a terrible 2-of-7.ย
Drew Gooden also failed to make a big impact off the pine, scoring just seven on the night.
Up Nextย
The Game 6 loss effectively ends the Wizards' up-and-down season. Though they'll have the offseason to make minor adjustments, the 2014-15 year proved that their young core has the ability to accomplish big things going forward.
As for the Hawks, they'll look to carry this momentum into the Eastern Conference Finals, where they'll draw LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland is on the heels of a dominant Game 6 performance, after routing the Chicago Bulls to seal a spot in the semis. Atlanta will certainly enter the series as the underdogs, but after beating the Cavs three out of the four times they met in the regular season, the Hawks shouldn't be counted out quite yet.
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