2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 12: Boston's Bargain Bradley, Wall Gets Help And Super Schroder Strikes Again
Apr 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) celebrates with fans while leaving the court after the Wizards' game against the Atlanta Hawks in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
On Day 12 of 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, John Wall finally gets some help, Avery Bradley turns the series in Boston's favor and Super Schroder strikes again.
The 2017 NBA Playoffs continue to march toward the conference semifinals, but even as we inch closer and closer to the next matchups, the first round has given basketball fans plenty to enjoy.
The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets have predictably advanced in quick fashion, but every other series features a pivotal Game 6 with one team fighting for the semis and the other trying to avoid elimination.
As we move deeper into the postseason, we'll continue to take a look at what stood out from each day of playoff action. Here's what we took away from the Wizards finally giving John Wall some help, Super Schroder striking again and Avery Bradley turning Game 5 in Boston's favor Wednesday night.
Wall-Aid
In our previous segment on the Washington Wizards, we lamented how John Wall was having to carry the load for his team. In Game 5 Wednesday night, their Wall-star finally got the help he's sorely needed in this series.
Bradley Beal, who had been posting big scoring numbers but wasn't shooting the ball efficiently, finished with a team-high 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting, even if he only made one of his nine three-point attempts.
The bench, which had been the third-lowest scoring unit with the third-lowest point differential among all playoff teams, outscored Atlanta's reserves 26-19 behind 14 points and six boards from Bojan Bogdanovic.
Jennings with the shake and bake dish for the #AssistOfTheNight! pic.twitter.com/kBpQl1uvVE
— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2017
The most welcome return to form, however, was Otto Porter Jr., who was one bad game away from having his face plastered across milk cartons in the D.C. area.
Porter, who was averaging 8.5 points per game on dismal .433/.273/.833 shooting splits entering Game 5, posted 17 points on just 3-of-4 shooting. His 10 points in the third quarter helped Washington build a lead, he drained two of his three long range attempts and he got to the line 10 times, making nine of them. You might even say he was Otto-matic.
Beal and John Wall (20 points, 14 assists, six rebounds) did the heavy lifting as usual, but if the Wizards can continue to get something out of the supporting cast — and hopefully more out of Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat — they could be a real threat to win the East.
Apr 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) dribbles the ball past Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (13) in the second quarter in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Super-Schroder
The Atlanta Hawks are on the brink of elimination with Wednesday night's loss, but playoff aspirations were never particularly high to begin with. In fact, most people were expecting a Paul Millsap trade months ago until the front office came out and said he was off limits.
Millsap's free agency will be a crossroads for the franchise, amplified by the restricted free agency of Tim Hardaway Jr., plus the unrestricted free agencies of Thabo Sefolosha and Ersan Ilyasova.
But even with this team's short-term outlook feeling a bit hazy, Hawks fans have to love what they've seen out of Dennis Schroder in this first round series.
Have yourself a game, Dennis! #NBAPlayoffs @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/eQpeFApNil
— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2017
In Game 5, Schroder finished with a game-high 29 points and 11 assists, making him the first Hawk to put up 25 points and 10 dimes in a playoff game since Pete Maravich.
He shot 10-for-18 from the field, was a blistering 5-for-6 from downtown and kept Atlanta in the game late with some pivotal assists and a few clutch shots that probably had no business going in.
How do u say "Ice in your veins" in German?? pic.twitter.com/V1KU410FjF
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) April 27, 2017
It was a pretty impressive stat line from a guy who shot just 34 percent from long range during the regular season, especially considering how the Hawks traded away Jeff Teague to make him their starter. But Schroder's Game 5 wasn't an isolated incident, since the German point guard has gone toe-to-toe with John Wall all series.
Through five games, Schroder is averaging 24.4 points and 7.2 assists per game, leading the Hawks in both categories. He's shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from three-point territory, and perhaps best of all, "Playoff Schroder" no longer includes missed layups and a high volume of turnovers (only 1.6 per game).
The Hawks aren't Eastern Conference contenders, and their summer could get depressing in a hurry if Paul Millsap signs elsewhere. Hell, Atlanta might not even win this series. But at the very least, the fans can appreciate that their 23-year-old point guard has a bright future in this league.
Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) goes to the basket past Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Bargain Bin Bradley
The Boston Celtics' offense had been at a severe disadvantage whenever Isaiah Thomas sat, as had been the overwhelming case during the regular season. But in Game 5 Wednesday night, it was one of Brad Stevens' go-to defenders who carried the load on both ends of the floor.
In a series where the home team had lost every game, on a night where IT went 6-for-17 from the field and 1-for-10 from deep, it was Avery "Bargain Bin" Bradley who bottled up Butler for Boston and bombed the Bulls with buckets, boosting Beantown to a 3-2 bulge.
Bradley goes for 17 points in the first half! @NBAonTNT #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/U7T59mBWLw
— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2017
Alliteration aside, Bradley was the hero for the Celtics in Game 5. On the offensive end, he finally had his breakout performance after averaging just 12.3 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting through the first four games of the series.
He finished with a playoff career-high 24 points and six boards on 11-of-19 shooting, drilling two of his five three-pointers. He carried Boston's starting five in the first half, scoring the most points he'd seen in the series by the end of the second quarter.
That wasn't all Bradley did, however, as he also had his best defensive game of the series against Jimmy Butler. Bradley played every second Chicago's All-Star was on the floor, helping limit Jimmy Buckets to 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting. He also only let him get to the foul line once after Butler attempted 23 free throws in Game 4.
From @ESPNStatsInfo: Avery Bradley vs. Jimmy Butler pic.twitter.com/HEG3TiE2kg
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) April 27, 2017
Through the first four games, Butler was only averaging 24.8 points per game on 40.8 percent shooting, but in such a pivotal game, Bradley's work on the defensive end was phenomenal.
The Celtics got plenty of help from Al Horford (21-9-7), Kelly Olynyk (14 points) and even IT (24 points) despite the inefficient shooting. But in a make-or-break Game 5 with experienced stars like Butler and Dwyane Wade in town, it was Bradley's two-way contributions that made the biggest difference.
Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) comes off the court during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Bulls Are In Trouble
This might seem obvious for any 8-seed taking on the No. 1 seed in the first round, but the Chicago Bulls are in trouble.
Jimmy Butler isn't even shooting 41 percent from the field. Robin Lopez is no longer a larger than life advantage. The Bulls one game away from elimination, heading back to an arena where they lost their last two games against Boston by an average of 13 points.
At this rate, only a Willis Reed kind of performance from a one-armed Rajon Rondo can save the Bulls.
Rondo had a private evening practice to test his fractured thumb & ailing wrist to determine if he can play Game 5. https://t.co/lNAzdpQyip
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 26, 2017
To be fair, no one should feel let down by Chicago or by Rondo if he's unable to suit up for Game 6 and the Bulls bow out in the first round. Not many people expected this series to be close, and after the season this team has had, it's uplifting to see them compete like this at all.
But Rondo is one of the game's toughest and most experienced playoff competitors. With Game 6 not until Friday, he has a little bit of time to prepare, and he was already pretty damn close to suiting up for Game 5.
It's a long shot, but after three straight losses without him — compared to back-to-back wins with him — the Bulls are running out of saviors to turn to. If there's going to be a Game 7, there's a very good chance Game 6 will feature whatever miracle Rondo can conjure up with his one good hand.
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