After resting up for the past week, the Washington Wizards merely had to withstand the Atlanta Hawks’ early pace.
Once the Hawks ran out of gas, Bradley Beal and the Wizards took control in Atlanta.
Beal shook off a sprained ankle to score 28 points, and the streaking Wizards remained unbeaten in the postseason by defeating the top-seeded Hawks, 104-98, on Sunday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
It was another gritty performance by the Wizards, who improved to 8-1 on the road in the playoffs over the last two postseasons, including a 3-0 record this year.