The Brooklyn Nets tied the series with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday thanks to a throwback performance from Deron Williams. The former All-Star point guard turned back the clock and scored 35 points to lead his team to an unlikely victory. Robin Lopez was also huge for Brooklyn. He scored 26 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked four shots. Jeff Teague had 20 points and 11 assists for the Hawks in the losing effort.
Hawks vs. Nets 2015 final score: Deron Williams leads Nets to 120-115 Game 4 win
A throwback performance by Deron Williams led the Nets to their second win in a row to tie the series.
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The ball was moving and the outside shots were falling for Atlanta early. Unsurprisingly, they got off to a quick lead. Unlike the democratic approach to scoring the Hawks use, the Nets relied on Brook Lopez and an inspired Deron Williams to keep them afloat. Their combined 19 points and a hectic defense that caused turnovers not only got the Nets back in the game but allowed them to finish with a one-point lead after the first quarter.
It took the Hawks a while to adjust to the Nets' intensity but DeMarre Carroll led the way and they eventually erased an eight-point deficit. The tough shots that were falling early for Brooklyn stop finding the bottom of the net. They were fortunate that the Hawks missed some good looks from outside and that Lopez's rim protection forced some misses or the six-point lead Atlanta had at the break could have been bigger.
The Nets’ luck seemed to have run out in the third quarter. Their mistakes were costly, as the Hawks managed to push the pace and find easy scoring opportunities. It looked like the energy the Nets played with in the first half took its toll as the Hawks took control of the game. Yet it hasn’t been uncommon in this series for the Nets to get themselves in big holes only to climb their way out of them. Monday wasn’t the exception.
After trailing by as much as 12 in the second half, the Nets came roaring back led by Deron Williams. A 20-7 run to start the fourth quarter had them leading by five halfway through the final period. The Hawks refused to go away and got it close again. The two teams traded buckets until the final seconds, where both had a chance to win it in regulation but didn’t execute well.
Neither squad could create separation in overtime. They exchanged big buckets until a Young basket got the Nets up three. The Hawks had multiple chances to tie it but their outside shots missed and Williams iced the game with some free throws. The series is now tied at two.
3 things we learned
1) The Hawks have a lot of work to do
The Hawks’ play has not been inspired confidence in the first round. The Nets deserve credit for playing hard and forcing Atlanta to play at their pace but a contender shouldn’t struggle to beat Brooklyn. If the three-pointers are not falling the Hawks sometimes devolve into hero-ball moments from Teague and Dennis Schroeder and become turnover prone. That’s not what got them to the top of the East.
Mike Budenholzer will just need to find ways for his team to get more easy baskets on the half court or the Hawks might not get past Brooklyn, proving their critics right. The ingredients to be a great team are still there. It's just a question of getting everyone to perform their role at the level they did early in the season.
2) The playoffs saved the Nets’ season
The Nets were considered a joke for most of the year. They have a gigantic payroll but are not even close to contending and have pawned off their future for aging stars that quickly fell of. The style of basketball they play under Lionel Hollins is not fun and there is no young stud to get excited about. This playoffs berth looked like fool's gold, a sweep like a real possibility.
Instead, the Nets are competing. Brook Lopez has looked like the All-Star center he was before injuries and everyone has had their moments. They are part of the most intriguing series in the East and while they don’t offer the thrills of better offensive teams, their hustle has been inspiring. The playoffs have erased all the sadness that characterized the Nets’ regular season.
3) Deron Williams can still play like a star on occasion
Williams started out the game hot and never cooled down. The Hawks gave him plenty of room from outside and he hit his open shots. Despite being on a roll he didn't try to do too much with the ball in his hands for most of the game and put a lot of effort into stopping Jeff Teague. He even hit crazy shots like this one:
It was a vintage Williams performance and a sign that he can still be a starting point guard on a good team. He won’t likely ever approach his past level consistently but he can have huge games from time to time and knows his limitations. Considering he still has two more years in his contract at the max, that’s good news for the Nets.
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