For Washington the focus shifts now to Game 2 on Wednesday (7 PM, EST, NBA TV).
Credit Morris for preventing Millsap from being the dependable baseline scorer and rebounder that Atlanta needs to play winning basketball. He's definitely a shooter just like they are capable of and he's playing well for them right now.
"I just got to be more aggressive", Millsap said.
Wall scored 15 points in the third quarter and finished with 14 assists in the best playoff performance of his young career. Threes, layups, and free throws. "That's just the first step in us getting better". After finishing 41-41 last season, the Wizards stepped up to 49 wins and the 4th seed in the East, thanks largely to an improved offense that features excellent three point shooting from the wing spots in Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, orchestrated by the driving, dishing, and scoring of John Wall. If they do, Dwight Howard and Tim Hardaway Jr. have to contribute more than seven points a piece.
However, despite all the speculation, Durant did not go back to play in his home town for his former coach. Following two offseason knee surgeries last summer, Wall has put together his best season since entering the league as a dancing No. 1 overall pick in 2010. The foul disparity wasn't that severe, Washington had 25 fouls to Atlanta's 22, but there was a clear difference between the way the two teams played defense. Coach Brooks seemed pleased with his team's shot selection and low turnovers, but wants to see them get to the foul line more often and keep Atlanta off the stripe, so that could be a point of emphasis heading into Game 2.
"This is my house", Wall said about the play. The Wizards are now 7-1 in playoff games when Wall records a double-double. Bryan, a SC native who played college golf for the Gamecocks, was four shots behind entering the day and moved into contention with four consecutive birdies on the front nine at Hilton Head Island. He's playing in the playoffs for them, especially with the starting five.
In a showdown between the 4th and 5th seed respectively, the Wizards will have homecourt advantage this time around.
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After only scoring two goals combined in the first two games of the series, Columbus scored three goals in just over six minutes of the first period.
The Wizards probably can't expect Morris to play at that high of a level the whole series, but if he can at least play somewhere near that level, it's going to be a very short series.
"When they got it going, they're hitting tough shots in the first half, some you've just got to live with, we played great defense", Curry said. "Regardless of the teams, maybe (being) different than the last time we were there, that's the team that knocked us out".
The Wizards did not start the season well under Brooks.
For his part, Wall attributed the deluge of points to Morris' aggressiveness. His shooting and secondary playmaking will be essential as they go on to challenge stronger teams after they dispatch with the lowly Hawks. And when that happens, they are able to unleash the full powers of John Wall's freelancing brilliance.
Said Morris: "It is what it is".
The Wizards caught a break with how the regular season wrapped up, in that they won't have to face the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers until the conference finals, if both teams make it that far. Can Atlanta's big men match the toughness of Washington's?
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