The series was supposed to be over by now. The Atlanta Hawks were a juggernaut this season, one that at times appeared to be unbeatable. The Brooklyn Nets? Well, the word "juggernaut" hasn't been used to describe the Nets since they were in Long Island and Dr. J was wearing their red, white and blue.
Nets vs. Hawks Game 5, NBA playoffs 2015: Time, TV schedule and live stream
Atlanta hopes to rediscover its winning ways at home.
The first two games of the series went as planned -- Atlanta won both its home games in a comfortable fashion. Then the series moved to Brooklyn and everything changed.
A Nets win in Game 3 was semi-predictable. Brooklyn is a veteran team that wasn't just going to roll over. But then the Nets pulled out that miraculous Game 4 overtime win Monday night. Deron Williams scored 35 points, 17 more than he had scored in the series' first three games combined. Brook Lopez -- who's averaging 21 points per game this series -- continued to dominate. Meanwhile, in the last two games Atlanta has looked nothing like the team that ran through the league this season. Al Horford, clearly bothered by his injured right pinky, is shooing only 43 percent this series. Paul Millsap, clearly bothered by his injured shoulder, has looked ordinary.
Now the series heads back to Atlanta for the start of what amounts to a best-of-three. Sure, the Hawks are still the favorites, but a Nets upset is no longer something that seems impossible to fathom. Maybe Williams reverts back to the old Deron Williams, and maybe the Hawks figure things out on offense, and maybe their Coach of the Year designs a way to take Lopez out of the game. These are certainly the most likely outcomes.
Then again, this series was already supposed to be over and Atlanta was supposed to be preparing for the second round by now. Now the Nets just need to win two more games. It’s not likely, but it’s definitely possible.
How to watch
Place: Philips Arena, Atlanta
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Online: WatchTNT
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