History.
The Hawks’ record-setting season has reached new heights. For the first time in franchise history, the team has advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.
Bring on the Cavaliers.
The Hawks disposed of the Wizards 94-91 on Friday night in Game 6 at the Verizon Center to win the conference semifinals 4-2. The Hawks had not won two playoff rounds since 1958 — when in St. Louis they won the NBA title. The conference finals begin at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Atlanta between the No. 1-seed Hawks and the No. 2-seed Cavaliers.
“It’s a good feeling,” Al Horford said in a joyous Hawks locker room. “I don’t know if it’s set in quite yet, honestly. It’s a good feeling. I’m excited, and I’m looking forward to the next round.”
The win wasn’t without some last-second dramatics that have become commonplace in this series.
DeMarre Carroll scored a team-high 25 points, including back-to-back layups on Jeff Teague assists in the final minute after the Hawks lost a 10-point fourth-quarter lead.
The Hawks led by as many as 10 points, 81-71, with 8:50 remaining. The Wizards went on a 17-6 run to take the lead with 3:48 remaining. The Hawks went 5:20 without a field goal in the Wizards’ run.
A basket by Paul Millsap and the two by Carroll nearly clinched the game. Paul Pierce appeared to make a game-tying 3-point at the buzzer. However, after a review, video showed that he did not get the shot off in time.
“When they ran the play, I saw John Wall get the ball,” Carroll said. “I was like, ‘Man, should I foul him or should I just contest the 3?’ I know these whole NBA playoffs have been buzzer-beaters. I didn’t want the game to end on a buzzer beater, and I didn’t want Coach mad at me.
“John Wall handed it off, and I chased him. By the time I turned around I saw Paul Pierce shooting the ball, and I was about to cry. I said, ‘Not again.’ It went through, but the basketball gods were on our side. They let us get through this one.”
Deep breath.
“I almost had a heart attack, man,” Teague said. “(Pierce) just won’t give up. He keeps fighting. He’s a great player. He makes big-time shots. When I saw him get the ball I said, ‘He’s going to make it.’ And he did. Luckily, the time ran out.”
Carroll added 10 rebounds for a second consecutive double-double in the series. Millsap had 20 points and 13 rebounds. Teague had 20 points and Horford added 13 points, including a free throw with 6.4 seconds left that gave the Hawks the three-point advantage.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with a game-high 29 points. Wall added 20 as he was guarded by Carroll for much of the game — a move that proved effective in Game 5.
“We came out with a chip on our shoulder, came out with a sense of aggression, a sense of urgency,” Millsap said. “Things we have been preaching and wanting to do this whole series. It finally translated — Game 6, on the road, we kept our focus.”
In the end, it turned out that “The Truth” was wrong.
Pierce made a buzzer-beater to win Game 3. He nearly tied Game 4 with a 3-point attempt in the closing seconds. Despite his nickname, Pierce shouted “Series” to the Hawks’ bench after a go-ahead 3-pointer in Game 5. However, the Hawks came back and won on a Horford last-second shot. It was the Hawks who can claim the series after a Game 6 victory.
The Hawks took a 45-39 lead at intermission after a back-and-forth first half.
The Hawks led by as many as eight points in the first quarter as the Wizards made only 3 of their first 16 shots. The advantage disappeared as the Wizards closed the opening period on a 13-4 run for a 20-19 lead as Kevin Seraphin scored at the buzzer.
The Wizards never led by more than two points and the second quarter. The Hawks took their edge by scoring the last six points of the half. Millsap had 15 points, 10 in the second quarter, and eight rebounds.
The run extended to 18-4 between the second and third quarters as the Hawks built a 14-point edge, 57-43. The Wizards got as close as six points before the Hawks took a 72-64 edge into the final quarter. Carroll had 13 third-quarter points.
The list of accomplishments of this Hawks team has been lengthy, including a franchise-record 60-win regular season. There is more history to make.
