GT #3, Round 2: ATL Hawks @ Wizards 5 PM (ESPN/99.1 FM) [5/9/15]

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I would very much never like to have the "vet players don't mentor younger players" debate ever again.

Pierce and Nene have a fearless sort of "I don't give a ****" about them which can buoy a team that just lost its star. I think Porter has probably learned a lot from Pierce.

He has from all indications.

It's a beautiful thing to see.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I was there. One of the greatest moments I have ever witnessed in person considering the context.

Look, I only care about the final score and the toughness and grit. Blowing a lead was unpleasant, but we played well enough to build that lead and getting to experience that clutchness was fabulous.

I don't know if this was my lying eyes, but I hated the officiating. I'd say that Hawks got 60%+ plus of the questionable calls. More than that, Joey Crawford and Bennett Salvatore just wanted attention and decided to call everything.

Someone needs to knock the living snot of of Jeff Teague.

The best thing that can happen to an athlete is to have a name that has a two syllable first and last name. "Otto Porter" just flows, but man I wish there was a "John Wall (clap clap), John Wall (clap clap)" chant tonight.

The Truth.

No idea the nature and extent of Horford and Millsap's injuries. Don't care. If one of them can't go in game 4, Randy should consider going BIG. The Nene/Gortat combo just punishes any other bigman duo ATL has inside and they can't counter effectively enough offensively. As long as they're not playing 2 PGS, I'd go huge some with either Sessions or Beal, plus Otto, Paul and two bigs.

Otto's cuts are incredible. It's an elite skill and he's 22.

Good for Randy Wittman. Keep shutting us critics up by winning with your defense and eff you attitude.

If the Wizards can just find a way to split the next two, we'll be up 3-2 with game 6 at home and a chance to go to the ECF.

I mentioned to Nivek/TSW last week that ATL seemed like the worst 60 win team ever. He looked it up (of course -- NERDS!) and they indeed have the worst SRS of any team ever to win 60 or more games. And they're banged up and inexperienced and their bench is killing them and Budenholzer looks as out of his depth as a scuba diver in a bath tub. The league is going to come after him for the COY award.

Hugged and fived lots of strangers today.

Love this group. Love this team. Love this city.

Did Otto turn 22? I thought he was still 21. Right on everything else. I really feared the worst
when we lost Wall. Now I think both teams understand who the better team is.

If Washington jumps on the Hawks early in game 4, it's going be like the Toronto series. The Hawks are going to break down once they KNOW they are not the better team.

I think the comeback emboldened them, but like you are saying jim, they have doubts about whether they are in over their heads. They are thinking survival. Totally eating humble pie right now as opposed to how they felt coming in.

[Ruzious]

Atlanta's a much better team than Toronto. They're not going to just fold - especially with Wall likely out. Washington's going to have to gut this out to the very end if they're going to win it.

[dobrojim]

Wizards have clearly been the best team in the east playoffs.

6-1 against the #4 and #1 seeds. Not too shabby. Everyone else has lost at least
2 games and we've played the highest seeds of any team in the east.

[Higga]

What a game, what a finish. I don't think I've ever heard the Phone Booth louder than when after Pierce hit that shot. Absolutely insane. Would have been nice if we could have closed the game out better though, no excuses for blowing a 21 point lead in ~8 minutes.

But momentum has definitely shfited. I didn't think we had a chance of beating Atlanta without Wall, now not only do I think we have a chance, I actually think we'll win. In fact it wouldn't shock me if we won in 5.