In a Game 1 that felt entirely familiar, the Washington Wizards got off to a slow start, fell behind by double-digits early, then poured it on in the second half and came away with an improbable 104-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks on the road.
The first quarter belonged to the Hawks who came out gunning, playing uptempo, pinging the ball around for open looks, and giving the Wizards a healthy dose of culture shock after a first-round series against the plodding, iso-heavy Raptors.
A number of coaches have told there can be a kind of culture shock going from one series to the next if opponent type/quality changes enough
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 3, 2015
The Wizards didn't do themselves any favors in the offensive end, where they looked sloppy and out of sorts, unable to get anything going.
Then, slowly but steadily, the tide began to turn.
The Hawks rang up 37 first-quarter points, which is more than they managed in the entire second half.
Part of that had to do with the Wizards making tighter rotations on defense, but the Hawks - as happened frequently in their first-round series against the Nets - simply started missing shots they're used to making. After going 9-of-17 from 3-point range in the first half, they went just 4-of-21 in the second.
"Just withstanding adversity," John Wall said of the come-from-behind win. "We know they're going to come out and give us a punch right away."
In a game in which three starting guards suffered and played through sprains of some kind, the Wizards proved the more resilient bunch. That may have owed something to the fact that they had a full week off, while the Hawks had fewer than 48 hours. But that's what a first-round sweep affords a team.
It's the fourth straight series in which the Wizards have won Game 1 on the road, becoming the first team in NBA history to do so.
Turning Point
There was no one moment in which momentum seemed to swing from the Hawks to the Wizards, but the Wizards effectively put the game away on a last-minute possession in which the Hawks curiously elected not to foul.
Up four with just under 40 seconds to play, the Wizards walked the ball up the court, milked the clock, then ran a pick-and-roll with Wall and Marcin Gortat.
Wall, as he'd done all game and has done all postseason, hit Gortat with a picture-perfect pass at the rim. Gortat finished the easy deuce and the lead hit an all-but-insurmountable six points with just 15 seconds on the clock.
Star Performer
Wall, of course.
It's frightening to think about what the Wizards offense would look like without him. They have plenty of capable offensive players - including Bradley Beal, who scored a game-high 28 points - but almost anytime they get a good look, it can be traced back to something Wall did.
In Game 1, he found seams in the Hawks' blitzing defense, broke them down at the point of attack, got them into rotations, and found open teammates. He bent the Hawks to his will, and he did it despite a nasty fall in the second quarter that left him with a sprained left wrist.
Wall finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, 13 assists, a steal and three blocks, and even that impressive line undersells his two-way impact on the game.
Highlight Reel
Jeff Teague started things off in style with this slick bounce pass to DeMarre Carroll that covered about two-thirds of the court.
Wall set up budding 3-and-D specialist Otto Porter, who continued to demonstrate his stunningly quick maturation in these playoffs.
Mike Scott got his contractually-obliged massive dunk on a member of the Wizards, this time sticking it to Drew Gooden.
Series at a Glance
Game 1: Wizards 104, Hawks 98 (Wizards lead 1-0)
Game 2: Tuesday, May 5, 8 p.m. ET
Game 3: Saturday, May 9, 5 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, May 11, 7 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Wednesday, May 13, TBD
Game 6*: Friday, May 15, TBD
Game 7*: Monday, May 18, 8 p.m. ET
*If necessary
