NBA playoffs roundup: Curry, Teague help Warriors, Hawks draw even
For much of the season, the Warriors and Hawks looked like the two best teams in the NBA, winning 67 and 60 games, respectively.
Despite those stellar credentials, both teams headed into Monday's action down 2-1 in their conference semifinal matchups.
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In their respective Game 4 tilts, both top seeds responded with big wins. The Hawks moved past the Wizards, 106-101, while the Warriors handled Memphis, 101-84.
Still, the Hawks and Warriors both head home knowing that, though they are in better shape than they were heading into Monday night, they're only halfway home.
Takeaway: This series is tied 2-2, and it feels as tight as the record suggests.
After four games, both teams have to feel pretty good about themselves. The Wizards played their third game without John Wall, and despite going 1-2 in his absence, they are only a few missed buckets away from being up 3-1.
As for the Hawks, they've finally looked like the top seed in the East, managing to hold on to a lead and steal a game on the road before heading back to Atlanta.
Highlight: Jeff Teague scored 26 points in the Hawks' Game 4 win:
Teague with the trey. https://t.co/xPkjvFGOPY— Steven J. Gaither (@stevenjgaither) May 12, 2015Quotable: "It was a must-win for us, and we took care of business," Teague told TNT after the game.
"It’s a good team," Teague said of the Wizards after Monday's game. "They beat us on our home floor once already, so they’re not gonna come in shy, not scared to play or anything. So we gotta come out there hungry like we did tonight."
Next up: Wednesday at Atlanta, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Takeaway: The Warriors that we thought we'd see in this series showed up on Monday night.
After two sub-par performances in Golden State losses, Stephen Curry again showed why he is the first Warrior to win the MVP award since Wilt Chamberlain in 1960. Curry scored 33 points on 11-for-22 shooting to break out of his recent slump.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, failed to impose their will inside as they had the previous two games. Marc Gasol was solid, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, but Zach Randolph (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Mike Conley (10 points on 4 for 15 shooting) didn't give their team enough to come back from a deficit that stretched as high as 26 points in the second half.
Highlight: It was just that type of night for Curry and Co.
Stephen Curry gets hung on the dunk attempt but it spins in. https://t.co/tzxsbvCx8a— RealGM (@RealGM) May 12, 2015
Quotable: "We had a good mindset as a group coming into this game that if we play like ourselves, we'd be able to change the tide of the series," Curry told TNT after the game.
Next up: Wednesday at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., TNT
(All times Eastern)
Bulls at Cavaliers, 7 P.M., TNT
Clippers at Rockets, 9:30 P.M., TNT
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