The Atlanta Hawks put away the Brooklyn Nets 107-97 on Wednesday to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The pesky Nets hung around, but Atlanta outclassed them in the end. Here's what you need to know:
ATL IS BACK ... SORT OF: The Hawks started this game moving the ball beautifully and knocking down jumpers, looking like the vastly superior team that they are and taking a 33-16 lead into the second quarter. Essentially, they were themselves, and not the team we've seen lately, which has weirdly missed lots of open looks.
DeMarre Carroll, their starting lineup's non-All-Star, was the unlikely leader. He had 19 points in the first half and 24 in the game, looking extra aggressive on offense, hitting the glass and playing great defense. Atlanta should be worried about losing him in free agency because there is going to be a long line of teams trying to pluck him away.
Every member of the Hawks' starting five had some moments in this one, and that unit played essentially all of the fourth quarter. Al Horford was great on both ends and finished with a monstrous 25-point, 15-rebound, five-assist, two-block, two-steal line. Kyle Korver finally shook loose a little bit, going 5-for-12 from downtown and finishing with 17 points. But ...
ATLANTA'S BENCH IS OFFICIALLY A PROBLEM: Pero Antic was the only Hawks reserve with a positive plus-minus, and the stats aren't lying here. Dennis Schröder is, to put it politely, learning some important lessons in these playoffs, and Kent Bazemore has hurt Atlanta's offense. Brooklyn went on an 11-0 run at the beginning of the second quarter when both teams went to their respective benches, and the Hawks have to be worried about the same thing happening if/when -- let's be honest, when -- they advance.
ALAN ANDERSON AND JARRETT JACK ARE TERRIFYING: Atlanta led wire to wire and by as many as 17 points, but the Nets kept coming. This was largely thanks to Alan Anderson in the first half and Jarrett Jack in the second. The two of them have never been scared to take an important shot, and they're both capable of hitting contested ones. They are dangerous because they are a bit wild -- you never know when they're going to have games like this.
Anderson had 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting, and he made all four of his 3-point attempts. He had seven rebounds, too, and was by no means conserving his energy on the other end. In the second quarter, when Brooklyn could have folded, he scored 14 points and made all five of his shots.
Jack finished with 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals, and he was on the court for the entire fourth quarter. He scored all but two of his points after halftime, and made a couple of huge 3-pointers in the final frame. Jack is a gamer, and he's capable of saving horrible possessions. The Nets, whose offense often stagnates, need his hero ball sometimes. It just wasn't quite enough to topple the Hawks on their home court.
