Washington earned an upset Game 1 win on the road against the Hawks, one that wasn’t a total surprise based on the team’s first-round efforts.
What do the Hawks need to change to in Game 2? That’s what Jenna Corrado and I discuss in this latest PBT Extra.
There are a couple obvious steps. First, the Hawks’ starters outplayed the Wizards — they were +8 in the game and with a net differential of +16.2 per 100 possessions — but Mike Budenholzer only played them 18 minutes together. That’s fine in December, not in the second round of the playoffs. Second, the Hawks shot just 36 percent on uncontested looks — they need to knock down shots.
