To look at the Hawks’ 120-89 pole-axing of Washington Sunday and discount the importance of making 16 3-point shots and assisting 34 times would be folly, yet John Wall and the Wizards were unraveled by the Hawks’ defense – again.
Sure, the long balls make more highlight reels, but when Jeff Teague picked off a Bradley Beal pass shortly after the opening tip and took off for a layup, the Hawks picked up a theme and kept running with it.
In winning an eighth straight game, and for the 22nd time in 24 outings as Kyle Korver led the way with 19 points, Atlanta scored 31 points off Washington’s 20 turnovers in Philips Arena. The Wizards also had 20 turnovers when the Hawks won 106-102 in Washington on Nov. 25.
The Hawks (29-8) are not just beating down their chief competition in the East; they’re ripping off the Wizards (25-12).
“The message we’ve kind of been talking about is our activity and our hands, and creating turnovers,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “This is a high, high IQ basketball group. People talk about high IQ just in an offensive framework, and I think there are a lot of smart defenders.”
Wall is in no position to argue.
Washington’s point guard coughed up the ball eight times Sunday, and had seven turnovers against the Hawks on Nov. 25.
Teague and DeMarre Carroll had four steals each among Atlanta’s 14 in Philips, and three and four, respectively, in the first game against the Wizards.
In jumping out to a 34-22 first-quarter lead Sunday, the Hawks cashed seven Washington miscues into eight points. Teague had three steals in that period, and the Wizards were playing catch-up the rest of the afternoon. They never led.
“When you turn the ball over as many times as we did, and they capitalize … we’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Washington’s Paul Pierce. “That’s what makes them so good; they cause turnovers and force deflections, stay with their principles, and keep coming offensively with all of their movement.”
Washington closed to 55-50 by halftime, and to within 69-67 late in the third quarter before it started happening again.
A 16-2 burst by the Hawks snapped the Wizards like a rubber band, and included 13 points off seven Washington turnovers in the third period. Wall had four.
“The mental is a big part of defense,” said Carroll, who scored 11 of his 16 points in the third quarter. “Doing your homework, knowing the player you have and tendencies. But my biggest thing on defense is effort, just making an effort.”
Not content with a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter, the Hawks made all five of their 3-point shots in the fourth quarter and blew out the Wizards 33-12 in the period to end Washington’s three-game winning streak.
Center Al Horford even made a 3-pointer Sunday, his sixth, yet he wasn’t talking much about that after the game.
“I feel like our defense was much better in the third once they made that little run,” he said. “You have to have good position, anticipate sometimes, and we’re just out there playing our game.”
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