Atlanta Hawks:Force Series Tie Against Washington

The Atlanta Hawks forced a series tie on Monday night against the Washington Wizards with their 111-101 win. The team will now travel to Washington for game five on Wednesday night.

After dropping both games in Washington the Hawks have gained momentum winning both of their own home games. The Hawks relied on their strong bench and big nights from Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard to propel them to their second straight playoff win.

Heading into the 4th quarter tied the Hawks let the big men take over and help them pull out to a ten point lead with less than three minutes left in Monday’s game. The win was a big one considering the momentum that it gave the Hawks heading back to a city that wasn’t so kind to them the first time around.

If the Hawks are going to win in the first round of the the playoffs they are going to have to win at least one game in Washington. Two of next three games are going to have to be won by the Hawks in a series that looks poised to likely go seven.

The problem for the winner will be finding a way to beat Lebron James and the Cavs straight off of a series that saw the Cavs sweep the Pacers and advance with little trouble. The East playoffs seemed to be decided by NBA commentators before they had begun.

Crowning the Cavs as champions of the East is understandable but the Hawks have to have some confidence taking them on if they can advance past the first round. Winning the season series and both of the final two games against the Cavs was a confidence booster for a team that was in need of just that heading into the playoffs.

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Wednesday’s game will tip off at 6:00 EST in Washington as the Hawks continue to look to start a run in the playoffs.