Game 3 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks will be on Saturday. Hereâs 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 Hawksâ 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 itâs 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? Heâs 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 hasnât 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 Gortatâs nail in the low post. Heâs getting Polish Hammered senselessly down low.
Now for the Hawksâ wings. Well, itâs not like theyâre going to do a lot of flying, but Tim Hardaway Jr. at shooting guard and Taurean Prince at small forward makes the most sense. Itâs not like Budenholzer is going to start Kent Bazemore, as heâs been atrocious for most of this series.
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