NBA Playoffs 2017: Wizards vs. Hawks Game 3 live stream: Watch online
By John Buhler
Game 3 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks will be on Saturday. Here’s how to watch it online.
Though the first two games of the series have been decided by fewer than 10 points, the Washington Wizards have a commanding 2-0 lead over the division rival Atlanta Hawks in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. Washington won both games at home over Atlanta.
The Wizards came alive late in the fourth quarter of both games to get their first 2-0 playoff series lead in franchise history. Washington took Game 1 114-107 and Game 2 109-101. Atlanta had been able to keep it close with decent play on the glass and with the Hawks’ second unit. However, Washington clearly has the better backcourt and starting five over Atlanta. Game 3 at home on Saturday is a must-win for the Hawks if they want any shot at upsetting the Wizards in this first-round series.
Expect Washington to start the same five in every game the rest of this series because it’s working: 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.
Wall and Beal have been too hard for Atlanta to handle now in the backcourt. Look for that to continue. If Gortat continues to play as hard as he did in the first two games of this series, Washington can win this best-of-seven in four or five games.
As for Atlanta, what will Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer do with his starting lineup? He’s not much of a tinkerer with his starting five, but Budenholzer has to get better play out on the wing to avoid a first-round sweep.
Dennis Schroder will start at point guard. He hasn’t been terrible, but Wall is infinitely better than him. Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard will start at power forward and center, respectively. Millsap has been great, but Howard has been Gortat’s nail in the low post. He’s getting Polish Hammered senselessly down low.
Now for the Hawks’ wings. Well, it’s not like they’re going to do a lot of flying, but Tim Hardaway Jr. at shooting guard and Taurean Prince at small forward makes the most sense. It’s not like Budenholzer is going to start Kent Bazemore, as he’s been atrocious for most of this series.