Nets even series with Hawks on overtime dramatics (updated)
It’s a series. And the Hawks have to be wondering what went wrong.
Deron Williams suddenly came back from the edge of oblivion to score a game-high 35 points and lead the Nets to a 120-115 overtime victory over the Hawks in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Monday night at Barclays Center.
Williams had a combined 18 points in the first three games of the series, which is now tied 2-2 and returns to Atlanta for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Nets point guard was 13-of-25 from the field and made 7-of-11 from 3-point range to set a Nets single-game playoff high. Just for fun, he added seven assists and five rebounds.
“Deron played great,” Hawks guard Kyle Korver said. “I played with Deron in Utah for a few years. That’s the Deron I remember. That’s what he is capable of.”
The No. 8 seed Nets held serve at home by outscoring the No. 1 seed Hawks 16-11 in the extra period, reducing the series to a best-of-three with two games in Atlanta.
All 10 starters scored in double figures in the wide-open game. Brook Lopez had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.
DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague had 20 points apiece for the Hawks. Carroll had another strong offensive game going 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range. He added nine rebounds, five assists and a steal. Al Horford had 17 points. Paul Millsap (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Korver (16 points, 11 rebounds) had double-doubles.
“We had some opportunities tonight that we didn’t take advantage of,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “In this situation and this time, it is important when you get an opportunity that you take advantage of it.”
Korver missed three 3-point attempts, each that would have tied the game, in the final minute while a game that the Hawks led by as many as 12 points slipped away.
“I got couple of good ones, especially the last one, I thought,” Korver said. “It felt good. Sometimes you miss.”
Bojan Bogdanovic hit a 3-pointer with 1:25 left in the overtime that gave the Nets the lead for good at 114-113. Korver missed after the Nets took a 116-113 lead on a Thaddeus Young basket. Williams and Joe Johnson sealed the game by converting four free throws in the final 20 seconds.
“It wasn’t meant to be,” Horford said. “If Kyle gets three shots, I’ll take them any day. That’s my guy. I’ll give it to him 100 times.”
The Hawks couldn’t hold an eight-point fourth-quarter lead as the Nets went on an 11-3 run to start the period. Three of the four field goals in the run were 3-pointers and an Alan Anderson long-range shot tied the game at 85-85 with 9:16 left.
The Nets led by as many as six points in the quarter that went back-and-forth. Williams gave the Nets a 102-101 lead with 1:53 remaining with a buzzer-beating circus-like 3-pointer. The Hawks tied the game at 104-104 on a Millsap driving dunk with 16.4 seconds left in regulation. Williams missed a turnaround jumper with 6.4 seconds and Korver got the rebound. Following a timeout, the Hawks failed to even get a shot off to set up overtime.
The Hawks led by as many as seven points, 21-14, in the first quarter but ended the period by going 1-of-3 from the field including five turnovers. Those miscues started the Nets on an 18-3 run between the first and second quarters as they grabbed a 32-24 lead. The Hawks answered with a 27-13 run to end the half with a 51-45 lead.
After the Hawks struggled offensively in a Game 3 loss to the Nets, team defense and 18 turnovers were issues in Game 4.
“Offense doesn’t win games,” Pero Antic said. “Defense wins games. That is my mentality all my life, all my career. We didn’t play the great team defense we usually play so we’ll see where we made the mistakes because we have to fix them. This is the playoffs.”
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
