There was a reason Paul Pierce was so wide open for a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
The Wizards’ forward - already with series heroics - was the beneficiary of screen from teammate Nene set on the Hawks’ DeMarre Carroll in the final seconds of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday night in Washington, D.C.
Pierce’s shot was off the mark and after two Paul Millsap free throws with less than a second remaining the Hawks had a 106-101 victory to even the series at 2-2. Game 5 is Wednesday night at Philips Arena.
In the postgame locker room, Carroll walked with a pronounced limp. He later told WSB Channel 2 that he injured his hip falling to the ground and suspected a hip pointer but added he would be “alright.”
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was asked about the sequence by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in his postgame press conference. He offered an answer that would not need a review by the NBA office.
“There was a couple different screens, multiple screens. Nene did a good job of setting a screen on him and he came free. So we’ll look at it. We’ll look at our end-of-game execution. I think we can be significantly better there.”
The play was reviewed by the league. According the the NBA’s Two-Minute Report issued Tuesday evening, there should not have been an offensive foul called on Nene setting the screen. According to the report, Nene sets the screen on Carroll and gives him the opportunity to stop and/or change direction.
The Hawks did not practice Tuesday but Budenholzer offered an update on Carroll’s status.
“He is doing good,” Budenholzer said during a conference call with reporters. “Yes, we expect him to play.”
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