2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 19: Wizards hold a lead, the only thing that can stop the Warriors and Gordon Bae-ward

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:36 p.m. ET

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May 4, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) gestures after making a three point field goal against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter in game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

On Day 19 of 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, the Wizards bench finally holds a lead, only one thing can stop the Warriors and the Jazz yearn for more Gordon Bae-ward.

With the conference semifinals moving deeper and deeper into their series, the 2017 NBA Playoffs seem to be hurtling toward the inevitable conclusion most have been expecting since last summer: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Part III.

In the meantime though, these playoffs are still providing plenty of juicy storylines to follow. The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards have been at each other's throats in the East — almost literally — while the Utah Jazz will look to Gordon Hayward's free agency as the Golden State Warriors continue to roll in the West.

As we move further and further into the postseason, we'll be taking a look at what stands out from each day of playoff action. On Day 19, we examine the Wizards bench finding its groove at home, Boston's first quarter woes, the only thing that can stop the Warriors and Gordon Bae-ward.

Bench players play better at home

John Wall was great again in Game 3, Marcin Gortat finished with a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double and for the third game in a row, the Washington Wizards' starters got off to a scorching start.

However, unlike in games past, Washington's second unit actually held up its end of the bargain, allowing the Wizards to (GASP!) sustain a double-digit lead for once in this series. You hear the saying, "Bench players play better at home" about 50 times every year around this time, and Game 3 was a pretty clear indicator why.

No longer did the Wizards bench look like mere Muggles. The team's 22-point lead at the end of the first quarter had actually increased to 23 points by halftime. In fact, Washington won every single quarter in a start-to-finish rout.

Bojan Bogdanovic bounced back in a huge way with Scott Brooks giving him a longer leash, tallying 19 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes while shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point range. Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre made good on Markieff Morris' comments about this team needing to be tougher:

Now, we're not going to condone Oubre's actions here. It's never smart to get yourself ejected from a playoff game, especially since the play in question could possibly draw a suspension from the league office.

However, that skirmish undeniably fired up the home crowd, and the Wizards had a rallying cry moment the ensured this double-digit lead wasn't going anywhere. Not that they really needed the momentum boost, because as you may have heard, bench players play better at home.

May 4, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens gestures from the bench as Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (R) looks on against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter in game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 116-89. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Boston needs better pregame speeches

The first quarter woes continue for the Boston Celtics.

In Game 1, they gave up the first 16 points of the contest, trailed 20-3 at one point and were down by 14 at the end of the first quarter. In Game 2, they faced another 14-point deficit at the end of the first quarter.

In Game 3, the Celtics reached a new low in preparedness out of the opening gate, surrendering a 22-0 run after the game was tied at 12. The Wizards led by 22 heading into the second period, and unlike Games 1 and 2, they were able to sustain it the rest of the way.

The difference? It's a hell of a lot harder to pull off miraculous comebacks when you don't have the support of a roaring TD Garden as fuel in the tank.

There were plenty of areas for concern in Game 3. Isaiah Thomas only had 13 points on eight shots the very next game after his 53-point supernova, the Celtics were out-rebounded by 12 and they only shot 35.1 percent from the floor.

But every problem in Thursday night's bloodbath traces back to the trend of unbelievably slow starts, which Boston badly needs to correct in this series.

Whether Brad Stevens needs to start plagiarizing his pregame speeches from Hoosiers or the trainers start spiking the team's Gatorade with Adderall, this Celtics have to do something to stop coming out with such poor energy and focus.

May 4, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with forward Kevin Durant (35) against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 115-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The only thing that can stop the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are firing on all cylinders. The Golden State Warriors are undefeated in their last 21 of their last 22 games. And minus their head coach, the Golden State Warriors are completely healthy.

No offense to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the only team that can stop the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Playoffs is the Golden State Warriors.

To be perfectly honest, this isn't anything new; it was the same exact case last year. As much as Cavs fans/Warriors detractors hate to admit it, the 2016 NBA Finals probably would've ended differently if not for Stephen Curry's injury a few weeks before, Draymond Green's Game 5 suspension or Andrew Bogut's season-ending injury in Game 5 (as if admitting those things somehow takes away from the unbelievable things LeBron did in that series).

Aside from injuries or Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson curling up into a ball in the Finals again, the Dubs are hands down the title favorites.

In Game 2 against the Jazz though, Warriors fans got a brief, frightening reminder of how fragile a postseason run can be when Draymond Green went down with an apparent knee injury and stayed down for a few minutes.

Green was able to walk to the locker room under his own power, the injury was called a "knee tweak" and he was able to return and finish the game. He didn't look to be hobbled or in pain, so for the time being, it appears as though the Warriors dodged a bullet.

But as dominant as the Dubs have been, and as inevitable as another ring might feel, Game 2 served as a reminder that there's a reason they play the games. A healthy Golden State team is the safest bet to win the 2017 Larry O'Brien trophy, but if anyone should know how quickly championship expectations can unravel, it should be these Warriors.

May 4, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 115-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

More like Gordon Baeward, amirite?

We could talk about how the Utah Jazz pulled within seven with two minutes to go in Game 2. We could talk about how the Jazz nearly won the last three quarters of the game, admire how Rudy Gobert put up 16 points and 16 rebounds, and praise Utah for being so competitive despite missing George Hill.

But let's be honest: Game 2 was a largely uncompetitive affair that got to single digits near the end without every really threatening the Dubs' inevitable victory. Even as the Jazz continue to find ways to battle this hydra, every time one head falls, three more take its place and they all wind up going in the basket.

Instead, let's talk about Gordon Hayward.

This summer, Hayward will be an unrestricted free agent, and for those still living in the dinosaur days of the NBA salary cap, he is 100 percent worth the max contract he will be getting from someone this summer.

In Game 2, Hayward was the biggest reason Golden State couldn't fully put the game away in the second half. He finished with 33 points, five rebounds and four assists, shooting 11-for-21 from the floor and 3-for-8 from downtown.

Hayward was every bit the All-Star he was pegged to be during his first appearance this season. Sure it came in a futile effort against a Western Conference juggernaut, but if the Jazz could take one positive from Game 2, it was the performance of their best offensive weapon in the face of swarming defense from the opposition.

The question is, how will this kind of series impact Hayward's free agency decision this summer? As hard as the Jazz have competed, no one would be surprised to see this series end in a sweep.

Is a pile of money and one first round series enough of a taste of victory to convince him to stick around? Or will the realization that the Warriors still own the West convince him to shift his gaze eastward, where his former Butler coach would be happy to welcome him to the Celtics?

In Thursday night's performance, Hayward reaffirmed what everyone in Utah already knew: This 27-year-old is a legitimate star, and he'll be worth every single penny of his contract this summer.

But unless the Jazz have some unexpected fight left in them as the series moves to Utah, this series looks like it's already over. If that's the case, we will look back on Game 2 as validation for his max re-signing this summer…or a stinging reminder of what might have been if he moves on.

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