NBA Playoffs 2014: Washington Wizards Advance! John Wall Is A Superstar! Are They The Next Eastern Power?
The NBA Playoffs 2014 has been very entertaining. No surprise, the first ticket to the second round was booked by the Miami Heat. A day later, the next team out is..the Washington Wizards!
The Wizards just won their first playoff series since 2005, also against the Chicago Bulls. It's a huge step for a franchise that hadn't been to the postseason since 2008 and they had high expectations for this year's team following the max contract they offered to John Wall.
The young point guard did not disappoint. There were many questions and debates on whether Wall deserved to get a max contract, but no one's talking now. Wall played in his first All-Star Game, won the Slam Dunk Contest, led his team to the playoffs and now, they are marching towards the second round.
ESPN broke down the Game 5 box scores: John Wall finished with 24 points, Nene scored 20, and the Washington Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 75-69 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round series in five games.
Bradley Beal scored 17 points, and the fifth-seeded Wizards advanced in the postseason for just the third time since the 1970s. They will meet Indiana or Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Wizards were remarkable in this series. They were not intimidated by Chicago's physical defense. They even won Game 4 despite missing starting center Nene due to suspension.
Looking ahead, Washington will face the winner of the Indiana Pacers vs Atlanta Hawks match-up. The Hawks are leading the series 3-2 and if they advance, the Wizards have a good chance to beat the eighth seed. Their center has emerged as a powerful force. From Wiz of Awes:
"Wall and Beal were great, but Nene's performance ultimately led Washington to the Game 5 victory. After getting suspended for Game 4, I had no doubt that Nene would come out looking to assert himself early on. He scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, including an offensive rebound with the clock winding down late in the fourth quarter. Joakim Noah was well deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year award, but he's been severely outplayed by Nene. When Noah shuts down Nene's penetration, he's risen up right over him, knocking down some crucial mid-range shots to give Washington the advantage. Nene has surprisingly been one of the best players in this year's NBA Playoffs and if he continues playing at this level, Washington could potentially make even more noise."
Watch out for the Wizards in the second round of the playoffs and beyond!