Hawks' Carroll clears up reason for absence on final possession of Game 3

Even with a more detailed explanation, DeMarre Carroll seems to have given Paul Pierce some additional - and not at all required - trash-talking ammunition.

With the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards tied Saturday, the Wizards gave the ball to Pierce at the left elbow, where he calmly banked the game-winning buzzer-beater over the outstretched arms of three Hawks. Missing among those defenders was Carroll, the Hawks' best perimeter defender and the presumed best option to guard Pierce on a key possession.

Carroll spoke cryptically about his absence on the play immediately following the game, saying only that head coach Mike Budenholzer asked him to substitute in but that he "didn't feel comfortable at the time."

With the Hawks now down 2-1 in the series, a fate that perhaps could have been avoided with Carroll on the floor, the wing stopper was asked to expand on his comments Sunday.

To clarify what went on last night, me and Coach discussed the situation and we discussed the sub, and we felt like that was the best group at the time. I hadn't played for a quarter and a half. That's what we felt ...
I know a lot of people are going to say a lot of things because I'm supposed to be the top defender on the team, but I guess y'all can talk to Coach and he can answer the rest of the questions. Me, personally, I have a lot of faith in my guys. We have a lot of good defenders on this team. That's the beauty of this team: we're not selfish.

It's a tough spot for Carroll and for Budenholzer, as the Hawks had stormed back from certain defeat with a lineup of almost entirely reserves. When to switch back to the ineffective and cold - but generally better - starters is a tough call for a coach in that situation.

For Budenholzer's part, he wanted to trust the players who had gotten the team to that point, and seemed to welcome a conversation about the matter with Carroll:

We went with the group that gave us the best chance to get a stop. That's the decision. Obviously, Paul Pierce made a heckuva shot, made a tough shot. We always go with the group that gives us our best chance ...

Considering (Carroll) hadn't played the whole fourth quarter - I think he went in for a possession - again, there's a timeout. You talk. You discuss. And you have to make decisions.

I think sometimes we take players out of the game who don't want to come out, and sometimes we probably put players in that want to go in. Coaches have to make decisions, and that's part of the game.

Even with further explanation and a justifiable reason for keeping Carroll off the floor, Carroll's initial comments are sure to get back to Pierce, who doesn't seem the type to let them slide without taunting.