NBA Playoffs 2017: Wizards vs. Hawks Game 1 live stream: Watch online
By John Buhler
The Washington Wizards will host their division rival Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of their 2017 NBA Playoffs first-round series. Here is how to watch it online.
The 2017 NBA Playoffs are upon us. Sixten teams will have their shot to win 16 playoff games in hopes of winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Four of the eight first-round series begin on Saturday, April 15. One of the four series that will begin on Sunday, April 16, will be the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchups in the Eastern Conference between the Southeast Division rival Atlanta Hawks (43-39) and the Washington Wizards (49-33).
Atlanta and Washington had been two of the five best teams in the Eastern Conference for most of the regular season. Washington had its best season in close to 40 years, winning its first division title since 1979. Atlanta was a tad more inconsistent. However, the Hawks managed to get to their 10th straight Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Washington won the season series 3-1 over Atlanta. The Hawks beat the Wizards early in the season back on October 27, 114-99. Keep in mind that Washington was atrocious for the first few weeks of the season before eventually finding itself. The Wizards won the three remaining regular season contests with its divisional foe in succession.
The starting five for Atlanta will probably be this: Dennis Schroder at point guard, Kent Bazemore at shooting guard, Thabo Sefolosha at small forward, Paul Millsap at power forward and Dwight Howard at center. However, we could see Tim Hardaway Jr. start in place of Bazemore at the two. Maybe rookie Taurean Prince starts at the three over Sefolosha? Atlanta does like to bring Sefolosha off the bench to anchor the second-team defense.
As for the Wizards, we should expect the same starting five every game for the rest of the NBA Playoffs: John Wall at point guard, Bradley Beal at shooting guard, Otto Porter Jr. at small forward, Markieff Morris at power forward and Marcin Gortat at center. It’s a bit of a small ball look with Morris at the four and Gortat at the five. However, Washington doesn’t have a deep bench. Head coach Scott Brook may want to play his best five players as much as possible by starting them all together.