Mike Budenholzer was about to give one of his ought-to-be-patented answers. He stopped short.
The Hawks’ head coach was questioned about a specific strategy in the series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Nets. Budenholzer started to say he must review the game video before making a final determination. He quickly realized that would be moot.
Another playoff series would start in a mere 38 hours. Welcome to the NBA postseason.
The Hawks disposed of the Nets with a 111-87 win in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series Friday night. They open the semifinals against the Wizards at 1 p.m. Sunday. No reason to look back now. There is too much at stake ahead.
While the Hawks have the quick turnaround, the Wizards have been idle since Sunday after disposing of the Raptors in a four-game sweep in their first-round matchup. The Wizards break from the end of their series-clincher to the start of Game 1 will amount to 136 hours.
“That’s always the great debate,” Budenholzer said Saturday afternoon when asked about the quick turnaround. “I think the fact that we’ve been playing and in a rhythm and it’s every other day, if we can make that an advantage it’s to our advantage. If they are rested and for some reason that is a benefit for them.
“The proof is in the pudding in how both teams play. Afterward, hindsight will be 20-20, but going into it, I think we are looking to continue to play and compete and stay in a rhythm and be in a good place.”
So it begins.
The East No. 1 Hawks will open the second-round series at home against the No. 5 Wizards. The Hawks will look to advance to a conference final for the first time in their Atlanta history. There won’t be much time to prepare, especially since the team didn’t arrive back from New York until early Saturday morning.
It’s not like the Hawks and Wizards are unfamiliar opponents. The Southeast Division foes played four times during the regular season. The Hawks won the season 3-1. The lone loss came late in the season, when all five starters rested.
Budenholzer said the goal will be to keep the game plan simple.
“Don’t tell anybody, but coaches can over-coach,” he said. “Reduced time, there is the potential to hopefully keep it clean and simple. Players are going to play, and players are going to compete. Ultimately, that is more important.”
Budenholzer said there is not much to be gained from the regular-season success against the Wizards. There wasn’t against the Nets, a team the Hawks swept in season, in the first-round series. The playoffs are just different.
Budenholzer said he was impressed with the quick work the Wizards made of the Raptors, noting they won both high- and low-scoring games.
The Hawks will have their hands full with Wizards’ All-Star point guard John Wall and a potent transition offense. Wall averaged 17.3 points, a league-leading 12.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the first round. He was the only player to average 17 points and 10 assists in the opening series.
In the four regular-season matchups, Wall averaged 21.0 points and 9.8 assists against the Hawks.
“The way we think about it, this team in transition is priority No. 1,” Budenholzer said. “John Wall is obviously a big part of that transition. But there are other pieces that have to fall into place for us to be good in transition defense. We know how important our transition defense will be in this series and in Game 1. He is the one that leads that thrust.
“It’s kind of one in the same. Transition defense is going to be a huge priority and priority No. 1.”
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