Washington Wizards: Do or Die Tonight in Game 6
May 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman (center) talks with guard John Wall (2) and forward Paul Pierce (34) in the fourth quarter of their game against the Atlanta Hawks in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 82-81. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
When it comes to the NBA Playoffs, always expect the unexpected. In Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce screamed out “Series,” after knocking down what he thought was the game winning three-pointer late in the fourth-quarter. However, Pierce’s claim was far from the “truth” as Hawks center Al Horford put back a Dennis Schroder miss to pull off a shocking win and take a 3-2 series lead.
Now, it is do or die for Washington, a familiar position for this team. They were eliminated in Game 6 by the top-seeded Indiana Pacers last season. Game 6 is tonight in Washington and the Wizards are hoping they can reverse their fortune this time around to keep their season alive.
The fact that this is a home game for the Wizards is one thing that could work in their favor. The Wizards have generally been a pretty solid home team this season, despite dropping Game 4 at the Verizon Center.
It has to be promising for Wizards head coach Randy Wittman that his star point guard John Wall was able to play well despite having five fractures in his hand and wrist. In Game 5, Wall played a total of 37 minutes and scored 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting, to go along with seven assists. While he may not be at full strength, his presence in the lineup is extremely crucial to Washington’s chances of winning this game and forcing a Game 7.
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Pierce was asked about the Game 6 loss and he responded, saying, “I think the sting of this game is going to motivate us for Game 6. We’re going to go back home with aspirations of winning and making another trip to Atlanta.”
There’s not much that needs to be said about this game. Win and you stay alive. Lose and you stay home. There is a prideful bunch of players in the Washington Wizards locker room and losing this series after having a 2-1 lead will not sit well with them.