NBA playoff results: Hawks eliminate Wizards, Warriors close out Memphis

The Hawks led 45-39 at halftime as neither team could find a groove on offense. They jumped out to a 15-point lead in the third quarter, but couldn’t put the Wizards away.

The Wizards, led by Wall and Beal, chipped away at the deficit and retook the lead with 3:50 to play. They were tied with 1:14 to play, but Teague found Carroll on backdoor cuts on consecutive plays to give the Hawks a four-point lead with 30 seconds to go.

On Friday, the Warriors came out firing. They hit 6-of-9 from deep in the first quarter and led 32-19 after the frame. And they didn’t slow down in the second quarter. The Grizzlies pulled to within single digits a few times, but the Warriors continued to make shots and led, 58-49, at the half.

The Grizzlies, however, came out firing in the third quarter. They played with urgency and forced the Warriors into their style of play. The warriors could’t do anything against the grind-it-out defense of the Grizzlies and Memphis chipped away at the lead. They held the Warriors to five points through the first eight minutes of the quarter. The Grizzlies got to within one, and were down by just five in the waning seconds of the quarter.

The Wizards thought Paul Pierce had done the impossible again. He didn’t.

This one is going to keep hurting for D.C. fans. And for a long, long time.

Down five with the ball, the Memphis Grizzlies had a chance to pull within one possession heading into the fourth quarter. Steph Curry had other ideas.

Jeff Green’s shot attempt was blocked (or he was fouled) and there was just enough time left on the clock for Curry to casually drill a three-quarter shot. And by drill I mean he barely touched net. The swing was a huge one. Instead of Green making a three or getting three free throws to make it a two-point game, Curry put the Warriors up eight headed into the final 12 minutes.

LEE VS. LEE.

What do you think? Sweet moves or dirty pool?

At first glance that shot appears to be good, but closer inspection shows it was just barely still in Pierce’s hand as the red light came on.

Pierce came close to sending the game to overtime, but his off-balance attempt came just after the clock hit zeroes.

The Hawks came out of the third quarter looking like they did in their mid-season run. They jumped out to a 14-point lead thanks to an 18-4 run that started in the second quarter. The lead ballooned to 15 at one point, but Wall did his best to keep the Wizards in it. They pulled to within six and trailed by eight heading into the fourth.

You don’t usually associate Kyle Korver with post defense and shot blocking, but he’s more than capable at times. Otto Porter Jr. found out the hard way.

Going to go out on a limb and declare that the most emphatic block of Korver’s NBA career. He did block a career-high 42 shots this year. Only 200 more blocks just like this one and he’s basically Anthony Davis.

Horford’s game-winner was appropriate because he carried the Hawks for much of the night. He scored 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting and added 11 rebounds and five blocks. He’s been great all series, averaging 18 points on 48 percent shooting and 10 rebounds against the Wizards. Considering the Hawks shot 41 percent and only hit five of their 22 three-point attempts, his offense was a much-needed boost.

Here’s how to watch:

Memphis now returns home to the Grindhouse in what could be their final game of the season. To push the Warriors to a Game 7, they’ll need to return home with adjustments of their own and probably some shotmaking, too. Golden State finally started cooking from behind the three-point line, hitting 14 triples in each of the last two games. The Grizzlies have to match that somehow.

This Memphis team could get to the Finals and beat whoever comes out of the weak East. They’re good enough for that. But time is running short and they have to start by striking back in Game 6.