The Hawks are back in the series, and the bad blood with the Washington Wizards shows no signs of letting up. Paul Millsap scored 29 points, Dennis Schroder had 27 and Atlanta delivered an early knockout blow in a 116-98 victory Saturday, slicing the Wizards' lead to 2-1 in the opening-round playoff matchup. Wizards fail to challengeCheered on by a raucous home crowd, the Hawks built a 25-point lead by late in the first quarter and were never seriously challenged by the Wizards. John Wall kept up his dazzling play in the series, scoring 29 points, but he was essentially a one-man team. Atlanta comes out flyingThe Hawks came out intent on moving the ball, getting open looks and cutting down on the turnovers that plagued them in the first two contests.

Source: CBC News April 23, 2017 00:40 UTC