The Washington Wizards eliminated the Atlanta Hawks from playoff contention on Friday, and John Wall made sure to let his feelings toward opposing point guard Dennis Schroder be known. He aired his opinion when he posted a picture on Instagram, flooring Schroder with a between-the-legs pull-back (push-off) move in Game 2.
John Wall buried Dennis Schroder on the court, then on Instagram
Wall outplayed Schroder in Game 6. Then he played the Hawks’ point guard on social media.
Wall’s post may have been in response to a similar image Schroder posted on Instagram in 2015, where he celebrated a second-round elimination of the Wizards.
The Wizards beat the Hawks in Game 6, 115-99, and Wall torched Schroder in the deciding game for 42 points on 16-of-25 shooting, including 19 in the fourth quarter. Schroder also scored 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting, but the Hawks were outscored by 19 when Wall was on the court.
It was the end to a feud that began in 2015, where Wall, who had an injured wrist, swears he heard Schroder telling teammates to swipe down on his hurt hand. Schroder denies the allegation.
The All-Star point guard conceded, though, and the two brought the best out of each other for the entire first-round series.
“He’s leading his team as much as I’m trying to lead my team,” Wall told reporters on Monday. “He’s a guy that trash talks just as much as I do. [It] brings the best out of us I guess. To me it does, in him, it must bring the best out of him.”
Wall, who averaged 23 points and 10 assists in the regular season, upped those numbers to 29.5 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting from the field and 47.4 percent shooting from downtown in the playoffs. He had the second-best stat line in the first round behind San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard.
Schroder also elevated his game for the playoff series, averaging 24.5 points and 7.7 assists in six games against the Wizards. A career 33 percent distance shooter, the Hawks’ point guard shot the three at a 42.5 percent clip in the first round.
This is only the beginning of an Atlanta-Washington rivalry that has perpetuated this season and through the playoffs. Schroder told reporters he wanted to work out with Wall over the summer. The Wizards’ guard laughed it off but didn’t shut the door.
See More:
