The Washington Wizards' best players combined for their best game and came through when it was most needed in Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks.
John Wall and Bradley Beal combined to score 63 points in Game 2, the most they’ve combined to score in a playoff game. Every point proved to be vital, especially those scored late.
The Wizards now lead the series 2-0 after rallying late in a tight game.
The takeover
Wall and Beal are the first pair of Wizards to each score at least 30 points in a playoff game since 2006 (Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas) and the first to do it in a playoff win since 1986 (Jeff Malone and Cliff Robinson).
Wall and Beal combined for 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the final five minutes of Game 2 (when the Wizards overcame a three-point deficit). The pair outscored the Hawks 24-23 in the fourth quarter.
Wall tried to get his teammates involved, but the Wizards shot only 38 percent (25 percent on 3-pointers) off Wall passes.
Beal scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, the most he has scored in the fourth quarter of any playoff game.
Unsung hero: Marcin Gortat
Wall and Beal did all the scoring, but Marcin Gortat did a lot of the busy work. He finished 7-of-10 for 14 points and also had three assists that led to seven points. His bigger impact was on the defensive end.
Gortat, who averaged 0.8 blocks per game during the regular season, matched a season high with five in Game 2. The Hawks didn’t score on any follow-ups on any of the possessions in which he blocked a shot. Gortat had two blocks on Dwight Howard in a 30-second span in the first quarter. Howard finished with three baskets and six points in 20 minutes.
Hawks players were 3-of-11 from the field (albeit with four free throws) when Gortat was the primary defender, and that encompassed six different shooters. The Hawks are 6-of-20 shooting against Gortat in the first two games of this series.
Looking ahead
Our Basketball Power Index gives the Wizards an 86 percent chance of winning the series. But if the Hawks won, it would be unprecedented. The Hawks are 0-18 in series when trailing 2-0 in a best-of-seven.
The Wizards have won five straight games against the Hawks dating to the regular season.