Hawks' late-game execution, defensive stops push series lead over Nets to 2-0
ATLANTA -- There were 11 seconds remaining when Deron Williams pulled up for a mid-range jumper that could have changed the complexion of the Atlanta Hawks' playoff run. It was a clean look, the type of shot coaches aspire to draw up for star players in big moments, with an opportunity to knot the score at 93-93 -- and put even more pressure on a top seed that has struggled to put its first two postseason games away. Fifteen feet of nothing but space.
Williams's shot missed, though, epitomizing a disappointing year for Brooklyn's former All-Star point guard and helping the Hawks hang on to home-court advantage by going up 2-0 in the first-round series.
In one of the many fourth-quarter plays that the Hawks have needed to put the eighth-seeded Nets behind the 8-ball as this series shifts to Brooklyn, the favorite found ways to execute. Wide-open shots do not sound like pristine execution, but in the Hawks' timeout huddle prior to the play the No. 1 talking point was preventing Brooklyn from hitting the go-ahead shot.
"He missed the shot, but that's what we practice," wing DeMarre Carroll said. "We practice running him off the 3-point line."
Kent Bazemore, the Atlanta defender tasked with keeping Williams in check on the play, closed out hard on the catch, flying past Williams on the pump fake, at least partially by design: "Any time you've got the corner shot, it's such an easy 3-point shot. So any time a guy catches it out there, no matter who it is, we want to run him off. Joe Johnson got in the paint, and first of all I was in there to help with (Brooklyn center) Brook Lopez to prevent the easy layup and when it went out there I just sprinted out there as fast as I could."
The Williams miss is going to grab headlines, but the Hawks were forced -- in part by their poor shooting (38.9 percent) throughout the game -- to come up with defensive stops in the late stages. The Nets hit just one of their final four attempts, three possessions with the chance to tie or take the lead with nothing to show for it. Brooklyn never led in the fourth. It has held just one second-half lead this entire series, relinquishing it 22 seconds later. So while the Hawks have yet to hit their stride, they've allowed themselves greater margin for error by making the plays that matter most.
Carroll's night was a telling (albeit exaggerated) snapshot of Atlanta's collective performance on Wednesday. He entered the final minutes of the game shooting 0 for 7, completely shut out in the scoring column. He did add eight rebounds and five assists, plus the types of little things that coach Mike Budenholzer constantly praises, but he was clearly displeased with his effort on that end. However, Carroll executed when he absolutely needed to.
The primary defensive assignment once again fell into his lap in the closing moments: Joe Johnson. With 77 seconds on the game clock, the Nets were going to their fourth-quarter standby.
Carroll held Johnson to 17 points on 17 shots in Game 1 and the expectation was another steady dose of isolation plays down the stretch, the trademark scoring preference of the former Hawks scorer. Coming out of a timeout trailing 90-89, the Nets called Johnson's number with the chance to take the lead. Carroll fought through a screen and forced Johnson into a contested drive ... and miss. Fast forward one minute to the decisive play that ended up in Williams's hands and once again there's the Carroll-Johnson matchup -- Carroll forcing Johnson into traffic before the Nets guard kicks out to his fellow backcourt member.
"(The Hawks defense) collapsed. They've been doing that all year," Johnson said. "They're a great defensive team. They guard the paint, and then they close out to the shooter. I just tried to make the right play. I thought Deron had a great shot. He said he thought it felt good, so we'll live with that."
Added Carroll, who has helped hold Johnson, the Nets' biggest scoring threat, to 36 points on 33 shots in the series: "I really thought they were going to iso me. I was trying to stay locked in because I knew they were going to try to go to Joe. Defense is my forte. I had a rough night offensively, but I can't let the offensive side of the ball affect my defense. I owe it to my team to try and get a stop."
To cap the fourth-quarter redemption process off, Carroll gave Atlanta some much-needed insurance with its final field goal of the night, a backdoor cut that left Williams flailing in no-man's land on a Paul Millsap pass. It was the only basket Carroll would score. ("I knew my man went to (Millsap) and as soon as I saw the back of his head I cut to the hole. At least I got me two points out of the night.") Some timing.
All of which brings up the following: Should the Hawks be concerned that they've been pushed to the brink in back-to-back games by the worst team in the '15 playoffs or should they be encouraged by the 2-0 in spite of their sub-regular-season play?
Wednesday night's struggles can easily be traced to uncharacteristic shooting woes, but Budenholzer seemed encouraged by improvements defensively and the progress of injured big men Al Horford and Paul Millsap.
"It was what you expect in the playoffs," said Budenholzer. "They're a very good team. They kept coming back and there were big possessions late in the game. I think we feel fortunate that we made just enough plays, just enough stops. Defensively, we got a little bit better tonight. But we need to play better moving forward."
Budenholzer's group knew what was at stake. The Nets made their intentions known early and often. Prior to Game 2, Brooklyn coach Lionel Hollins said that his team's main focus was stealing a win in the first two games. After the game, reserve point guard Jarrett Jack said his team believed this was the game to steal, ready for the taking. He was not wrong. One blown assignment or, say, a misread on Carroll's back-door cut and this series could have taken on a much more desperate tone heading back to Barclays Center.
In the end, the Hawks refused to loosen their grip. They own this series, but while flashes of the pace-and-space poetry that defined their 60-win success have come and gone, the NBA playoffs are still waiting on Atlanta to hit top gear.
"It's not going to be pretty no matter what round it is," Bazemore said. "They're going to keep fighting because of the guys they have: Joe Johnson, Jarrett Jack, Brook Lopez, guys like that. They're going to give us their best shot. They really think they have a chance to get us. It's up to us to go out and take care of business."
