NBA playoff scores 2015: Hawks finally dominate Nets in Game 6 to advance, plus 3 other things we learned Friday

It had to happen eventually. After showing glimpses of offensive brilliance in the first five games of their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks finally looked like the team that reeled off 37 wins in a 41-game stretch this season. After leading by six at the half, the Hawks went on a 23-3 run to start the third quarter and never looked back on their way to a 111-87 blowout win in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the playoffs for a meeting with the Washington Wizards.

Paul Millsap led the way for the Hawks with 25 points and nine rebounds and Al Horford added 18 points and seven rebounds, but it was once again a team effort for Atlanta -- five players scored in double figures. Jeff Teague wasn't one of the five, but he did ad 13 assists on the night, facilitating the high-powered offense on a night it could not be stopped.

The Hawks shot 50 percent from the field -- they hit 72 percent of their shots in the first quarter -- and 40 percent from deep. Of the 43 field goals they made, 34 of those buckets were assisted. Their third-quarter run was sparked by quick-paced passing and aggressive defense. It helped that the Nets continued to lose Kyle Korver -- he hit 6-of-10 shots from behind the arc on his way to 20 points.

Can a 60-win team be a scrappy underdog? The Hawks will not go out easily.

— Paul Flannery (@Pflanns) May 2, 2015

Remember last year when the Hawks nearly upset the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs? That Pacers team had an even worse post-All-Star break run to the playoffs than this year's Hawks and they still made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. And who did they beat to get there? The Wizards. The thing is, this year's Wizards look more dangerous than the team that lost to the Pacers in the 2014 playoffs. If the Hawks play the way they did in the third and fourth games of the Nets' series, they're going to struggle mightily against the tough defense of the Wizards. But if they're hitting three-point shots like they did in the fifth and sixth games, they're a tough matchup for Washington -- or any team in the league. The Hawks' bench struggled in this series and could be an issue against the Wizards, too. They'll need Kent Bazemore to continue his solid play, but Dennis Schroder is going to need to be more effective. The Hawks won the season series over the Wizards 3-1. It's been easy to forget about the Hawks team despite the fact they won 60 games this season. But if they have found their offense, they're a real threat to make it to the NBA Finals.

The Wizards are going to be a tough out for the Hawks. After sputtering down the season's homestretch, the Wizards seemed likely to make an early exit from the playoffs. Instead, they decimated the Toronto Raptors, sweeping Canada's favorite team in dominating fashion. The way they played against the Raptors paired with the struggles the Hawks had against the Nets makes it very possible the Wizards could be heading to the Eastern Conference Finals. The John Wall matchup against Teague at point guard is going to be entertaining -- and one that Wall holds a slight upper hand -- but there are a few question marks for the Wizards. Can Otto Porter continue his elevated play? Is Marcin Gortat going to be able to play with Horford? And are they going to be able to guard the three-point line if the Hawks have found their stroke? The Wizards defense in the paint is among the league's best, but they're not as great defending the three. The Hawks found their offense in the final two games, but the Wizards have the defense to shut it down again. If they can, they'll advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1979.

The Nets were better than eighth in the East. Other than the second half of Game 6, the Nets gave the Hawks all they could handle, and nearly pulled off a shocking first-round upset. In the end, the Hawks were too good, but the Nets did show toughness this series. They continually stayed in games they should have been out of -- the Hawks led by 17 after one quarter in Game 5 and the Nets were still within striking distance in the fourth quarter. In the series, Williams showed a few moments of brilliance -- he had 35 points in the Game 4 win -- and Brook Lopez averaged 19.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Lopez will be a free agent this year, and bringing him back should be a high priority for the Nets. What happens next for the Nets will be interesting, but the final stretch of the season was something to build off of if they can keep this core together.

How hot has Kyle been tonight? The bench knows it's in before he even catches the pass! pic.twitter.com/FMXTaQ8nOj

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 2, 2015