Story By: Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington D.C–
Sometimes you wonder if there was just a few more minutes left in the game or if the Wizards just played three quarters of basketball, would these past two games be any different? Just another fourth quarter game where it ends in the Hawks slipping away for another victory in the final minutes of the game.
The Hawks won in Washington for the second time in three days in what may have been a preview of a play-in round matchup in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is in eighth place, and the Wizards are a half-game up on Chicago for 10th. But if Trae Young has anything to say about the final outcome, these two games should give us an idea of what the result might be.
The Hawks led by 13 in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards as they did with the last meeting on Thursday night made a game of it down the stretch. It was 106-104 when Young connected from long distance to push the lead to five.
The Wizards still trailed by just three when Bradley Beal came up empty trying for a quick 2-pointer. Dejounte Murray made two free throws for Atlanta with 12.7 seconds left, and the Hawks closed out the game from there.
“I thought we had a couple good shots in the final seconds, we just couldn’t get one of those to drop. Kyle stepped out of bounds on one of our chances and Brad fell short on that bucket. Those are two that I thought made a difference tonight, said Wizards Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr.
“No moral victories, we’ve got to be a lot better,” Beal said. “We knew and understood the situation, the series coming into tonight, the seeding and what that could do for us. … Laying eggs. We’ve got to fight through it and these next 15, got to really make a push.”
The Wizards have a day off to regroup before heading to Philadelphia on Sunday for a matchup with the Sixers.
Washington will have one more shot at the Hawks on the road on April 5th, in what could be a huge matchup if the standings stay as close as they are for the next few weeks.