Basketball: Washington Wizards shock top-seeded Atlanta Hawks 104-98

Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (left) and Atlanta Hawks forward Pero Antic (right) of Macedonia battle for a rebound during the second half of game one of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal round series between the Washington Wizards an
Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (left) and Atlanta Hawks forward Pero Antic (right) of Macedonia battle for a rebound during the second half of game one of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal round series between the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta, Ga on Sunday. -- PHOTO: EPA

ATLANTA (AFP) - The well-rested Washington Wizards shook off injury scares for Bradley Beal and John Wall on Sunday to shock the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in game one of their NBA second-round playoff series.

Beal battled through a right ankle sprain to score 28 points and Wall shrugged off a left wrist injury to add 18 as the Wizards downed the Hawks 104-98 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference set.

Wall also handed out 13 assists and three blocks for the Wizards, who had been off for a week after sweeping the Toronto Raptors in four games in the first round.

The Hawks, meanwhile, had needed six games to get past upstarts Brooklyn, finally finishing off the nets with a 111-87 romp on Friday night.

Trailing 83-81, the Wizards scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter.

Beal tallied four points in the burst before coming down on Atlanta star Al Horford's foot and twisting his ankle.

He departed for the locker room but returned after treatment.

Wall had sprained his left wrist late in the first half on a fall under the basket.

Kyle Korver's three-pointer and Jeff Teague's layup had the Hawks within 91-90 later in the fourth, but the Wizards responded with a 7-1 scoring run that made it 98-91 with 3:17 remaining.

Once again Atlanta narrowed the gap, Paul Millsap's three-point play and a dunk making it 98-96.

But Otto Porter and Marcin Gortat both scored for the Wizards as Korver missed a three pointer and Washington put the game away.

It was the first time this season that the Hawks lost after taking the lead into the fourth quarter.

The second round got underway in the Western Conference as well on Sunday, with the top-seeded Golden State Warriors hosting the Memphis Grizzlies in game one of their series.

The Warriors finished with the best regular-season record in franchise history at 67-15 - best record in the league and the sixth-best regular season mark ever.

They dismissed the New Orleans Pelicans in four games in the first round while the Grizzlies needed five to get past the injury-plagued Portland Trail Blazers.

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