Playoffs

atljwilson

We took a tough 103-99 loss to the Washington Wizards in Game 5 Wednesday, but that didn't deter the fan base.  You all are looking forward to Game 6 and definitely let us know about it.

Here are our favorite tweets from the game:

hawks-fans-not-giving-up-ready-for-game-6

Hawks Fans Not Giving Up, Ready For Game 6

jose-calderon-was-pumped-during-game-4

José Calderón Was PUMPED During Game 4

Story by KL Chouinard Twitter: @KLChouinard

As the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards each try to figure out how to win a playoff series currently tied at two wins each, one of the factors that swings in the Hawks favor moving forward is Dwight Howard. He was a monster in Game 4's 111-101 win. He set firm picks and rolled to the hoop with force. He protected the rim. He soared for dunks. 

The Hawks were not a one-man team Monday. They had seven players who finished with 10 or more points, becoming the first team to do so in this playoffs. But Howard’s presence gave the team a base off which to build, and a bunch of Hawks flourished in the interplay. When Howard patrolled the restricted area on defense, Paul Millsap had a chance to roam further from it and apply his all-world defensive pressure. When Howard got extra attention on box outs, Ersan Ilyasova jumped from a very good rebounder into a great one. When Dennis Schröder turned the corner on the pick-and-roll, he had an extra step because of the swath that Howard’s picks generate. 

Howard also made himself a valuable receiver in the passing game. When José Calderón drove under the basket, Howard presented himself as a target who was ready to finish above the rim. When Howard rolled, Kent Bazemore had a target for his accurate alley-oop passes.

"Those two guys (Calderon and Bazemore) and the rest of the team," Howard said afterward, "they found me in some great spots to score. I'm very thankful for those two.”

The numbers say that Howard is having a strong postseason. The Hawks have scored 108.7 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor while only yielding 102.0. Howard has averaged 11.8 rebounds per game. He has been the lynchpin of a defensive scheme that has him playing back on pick-and-rolls in an attempt to keep John Wall and Bradley Beal from scoring at the rim. The Wizards have only made 42.4 percent of their shots at the rim when Howard has been within five feet of the the shooter -- and perhaps more importantly, his presence has even limited the number of attempts. 

On the other hand, Howard has gotten better as the series has gone on. His Games 1 and 2 weren't as good as his Games 3 and 4. Uncoincidentally, the Hawks won the latter two. 

"The defense and his activity on the boards, second and third efforts, going to offensive rebounds, all of those things -- we need more of that every night, every possession. When he's like that, it can help carry his teammates and help us take that next step," Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Howard has even made 66.7 percent of his free throws, looking confident and sure-handed at the charity stripe. If he keeps it up in all of these facets, the Hawks have serious postseason potential. Howard knows the goals.

"We just have to keep it going," Howard said after Game 4. "It's not about me. It's about our team and what we're trying to accomplish."

howard-looks-to-assert-dominance-again-in-game-5

Howard Looks To Assert Dominance Again In Game 5

Story by Jacob EisenbergTwitter: @Eisenberg43  

By any measure, José Calderón will go down in history as an international basketball legend. A three-time Olympic medalist with the Spanish national team, Calderon holds the NBA record for free throw percentage in a single season (98.1% in 2009) and is one of only eight players ever to enter the NBA’s illustrious “40-50-90” club. Still, in spite of his tremendous individual achievements, Calderon had only reached the playoffs three times in his career entering this season. 

So when the Lakers waived Calderon on Feb. 27 to clear up playing time for their young prospects, the 12-year NBA veteran understandably prioritized finding a winning destination in his free agent search. He didn’t have to look far; the Warriors - armed with a loaded roster and a need for a backup point guard – gladly signed Calderon on March 1 to a contract that was meant to last for the remainder of the season.

But by the time Calderon had officially joined the Warriors, Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a hyperextended knee that would sideline him for at least a month. Suddenly, Golden State’s Calderon splurge seemed superfluous in comparison to the pressing need for a rotational wing to replace Durant. Within 24 hours of signing him, the Warriors were forced to waive him to create a roster slot for small forward Matt Barnes. Less than a day later, Calderon was courted by and convinced to sign with the Hawks.

Fast forward nearly two months and it’s clear: Golden State’s eventful change of plans has played a big role in Atlanta’s first round rejuvenation. In a pivotal Game 4 that had “do-or-die” consequences for the Hawks, Calderon demonstrated consistent brilliance and composure, bringing the Phillips Arena crowd to its feet on multiple occasions. He finished the game with a team-high +/- of plus-29, scoring 10 points and adding five assists to the cause.    

“We may need to send a little thank you note to the Warriors,” Head Coach Mike Budenholzer joked to the media following Game 4’s 111-101 victory over the Wizards that evened up the series at 2-2. “It’s pretty special what he did tonight. We keep telling people how special he is. The character, the competitiveness. He’ll do anything for his team.” 

Ask around the Hawks’ locker room and Calderon’s character and spirit clearly have already left an impression on his teammates. 

“His swag is through the roof right now,” point guard Dennis Schröder explained. “He’s 35 years old but he’s still competing like I am. He’s out there taking charges and diving on the floor -- whatever it takes. That’s what we needed.”

Tim Hardaway Jr. remembered Calderon fondly from their days playing together with the Knicks.

“José is so smart out there on the court. He doesn’t do too much out of his game. He makes the right plays and hits huge shots on timely possessions.”  

In a complementary role to Schröder, Calderon provides a perfect balance of veteran experience and preparedness.

“As a point guard it’s all about staying ready,” he said.

So while Game 4’s explosion caught many fans off guard, nothing about the moment felt too big for Calderon. Following detours with several organizations around the league, Calderon has quickly embraced Atlanta’s stability, success, and culture. Playing in the playoffs for the first time since 2014, he already considers Atlanta, his seventh organization, home.

“The way we’re playing together as a team has been great,” Calderon confided after Game 4. “I’ve been really happy here since day one. I feel home and I feel great.”

all-hail-jose-calderon-atlantas-game-4-hero

All Hail José Calderón, Atlanta's Game 4 Hero

The Hawks won Game 3 to cut Washington's series lead to 2-1, but there is more work to be done.  Below are 5 keys to evening things up Monday night.

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @KLChouinard

1)  Win the first seven minutes of the game

Seven minutes represents roughly the amount of time that each team's five starters play until the first substitution. In the first two games, the Wizards outscored the Hawks by 14-8 and 16-8 margins in the first seven minutes. In Saturday's Game 3 win, the Hawks jumped out to a 23-8 lead in the same time frame. 

The Hawks will need to make a similar opening statement in Game 4, and if they do, the crowd will jump in behind them in support.

The Hawks have had the best three-point defense of the playoffs, limiting Washington to 27.8 percent shooting from long range.

"They have missed open shots," Paul Millsap said, "but when you put that type of pressure and that level of intensity on them, shots will be missed. We feel like our wing guys have been going a great job of getting them off the three-point line."

3)  Find a hot hand to be the the third scorer

Millsap has averaged 25.0 points per game in the series. Dennis Schröder has matched it with an identical 25.0 points per game. For the Hawks to score enough points to win, they will need to get a big scoring output from at least one more scorer, someone like Tim Hardaway Jr., Kent Bazemore, or rookie Taurean Prince.

The Hawks' top priority for this series was to slow Wall in transition. They managed to win Game 3 despite Washington's 23 fast-break points. It's the one area where the Hawks can make their stingy defense even stingier.

5)  Keep fighting over screens set for Wall and Beal

When the Wizards have used Marcin Gortat to set picks for Wall or Bradley Beal, the Hawks have countered by defending with Dwight Howard sitting back in the paint. The positioning enables Howard to both protect the rim on drives and stop assists to Gortat for layups.

It also helps the Hawks limit the number of times that they need to rely on a help defender to cut off a Wizard on his way to the basket (and less help means leaving open fewer three-point shooters).

The scheme does leave open 1) midrange shots for Wall and Beal, and 2) jump shots for Wizards big men, but on brilliant plays like this one where Hardaway fights around the pick and harasses the ball, the midrange shots can become tough ones too.

five-keys-for-hawks-to-get-even-in-game-4

Five Keys For Hawks To Get Even In Game 4

Game 3 of our first round playoff series againstg the Washington Wizards is Saturday at Philips Arena.  

However, we didn't want to wait until Saturday to find out what happens in our first home playoff game of 2017, so we decided to run a live, computer vs. computer simulation of the game on NBA 2K17.  We streamed it live on Facebook, and below is what happened:

watch-hawks-beat-wizards-in-2k-sim-of-game-3

WATCH: Hawks Beat Wizards In 2K Sim of Game 3

Can you name the Atlanta Hawks players who have scored at least 30 points in a Playoff game?

trivia-hawks-with-30-points-in-a-playoff-game

Trivia: Hawks With 30+ Points In A Playoff Game

The Hawks still have a chance to get the split all lower seeds look for when playing Games 1 and 2 on the road.  Here are four adjustments we may look to make to grab a win in Game 2:

The Hawks had what they wanted in the first half: a bumpy, defensive game where the Wizards didn't get a ton of chances in transition and didn't get a bunch of open threes. Then in the third quarter, John Wall starting pushing the ball at every opportunity, and the Wizards' offense began to click. To slow Wall down, the Hawks will need to run back and show him multiple bodies in the paint while still being ready to dash out to contest jump shots.

Before Game 1, all of the Hawks said that the key to the series was transition defense, and it still is.

Howard was a key component of the Hawks' ability to limit Washington's three-point game.

In order to limit threes, the Hawks defended pick and rolls with two defenders as often as possible. On those plays, Howard had a lot of responsibilities: leaning on Marcin Gortat, then sliding over to deter Wall from coming in the restricted area, then jumping back in front of Gortat to box him out. 

At the same time, Howard is the strongest player on the court, so if the Wizards feel his physical presence a bit more in Game 2, that will only help the Hawks. One role where this would be particularly useful is as an offensive rebounder. If Howard gets going there, the Wizards will have a more difficult time running out on the break.

Hardaway made 2 of 11 shots in Game 1, but he only took two attempts in the first half. The Hawks need Hardaway; he is their best scoring option on the wing. Getting the ball to him early in Game 2 will help get him in a good rhythm and should pay dividends later in the game.

Both the Hawks and Wizards are talented teams with skilled players up and down the roster. Players like Mike Muscala (who had a plus-minus rating of plus-20 in Game 1) and Kent Bazemore (plus-9 in Game 1) need to continue to pounce when Wall and Bradley Beal rest. 