Washington Wizards Have Successfully Punked Dwight Howard, Atlanta Hawks

Washington Wizards are playing a physical brand of basketball in the 2017 NBA Playoffs and the Atlanta Hawks, including Dwight Howard, haven’t responded.

The Atlanta Hawks are used to success during the regular season.

In 2015, the team won 60 games and eclipsed the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first spot in the Eastern Conference, kind of like what the Boston Celtics did this season.

But when the playoffs came around, the team looked flat and unprepared – almost as if their regular season style of play didn’t translate well to the NBA Playoffs.

This year, the Hawks have lost former All-Stars Al Horford and Jeff Teague, but their best player, Paul Millsap, survived trade talks and remains in Atlanta.

The makeup of the team has changed, but their identity – the ball movement and offensive fluidity – remains intact. Apparently, so does their lack of playoff grit.

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Following the Wizards’ Game-1 win over the Hawks on Sunday, Millsap complained about the physicality, saying Washington was “playing MMA.”

The game, innately, is much different in the postseason, where the stakes are obviously higher. The referees officiate it loosely, allowing the players to fight for positioning each possession, and the atmosphere awakens even the drowsiest of fans.

Washington Wizards have suffered through periods of indifference during the regular season, losing games they would’ve won had the core put in effort.

But when the playoffs began, the team flipped the switch – just like they did in 2014 and 2015.

Led by John Wall, Bradley Beal and Markieff Morris, the Wizards have the feel of a club that can make a serious push in the postseason. The team has valued every single possession and hasn’t taken a play off defensively. They’ve fed off the crowd, forcing turnovers that lead to momentum-swinging dunks.

The Wizards have played with an intensity that’s necessary to succeed on that stage.

Instead of responding with attitude, the Hawks have cowered away, failing to take any sort of responsibility for their inability to close games. Millsap, the team’s leader, has resorted to blaming the physicality the Wizards have played with.

Perhaps even more embarrassing than Millsap’s comments has been the play of Dwight Howard, who’s become notorious for never realizing his potential due to mental blockages.

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Howard has normally dominated his matchups against Marcin Gortat, whom he started ahead of in Orlando. That, more than anything else, was a concern for the Wizards, especially with Ian Mahinmi out.

Through the first two games of the series, Howard has attempted a total of 11 shots, averaging 6.5 points.

Gortat has used his body against Howard inside, even if it’s resulted into free throw attempts. His teammates have also scrambled to help when Howard’s gotten positioning, eliminating space for the Hawks’ center to work.

“I thought he has been great both games,” said Scott Brooks when asked about Gortat’s performance. “He has an athletic big that can have monster games in Dwight Howard. He’s done a great job of just staying around the basket staying in front of them. He’s a big part of our team, and when he defends he helps us.”

Howard was available to the media after the Game-2 loss and was at a loss for words. Unable to properly answer questions, Howard immediately became the target of jokes for Shaquille O’Neal, whom he was compared to during the prime of his career.

Next: How Wizards Can Continue Dominating Hawks

Since leaving Orlando (and some would argue even during his time with the Magic), Howard’s confidence has become fragile. Washington has capitalized on the perceived softness, taking a 2-0 series lead and ultimately burying any momentum the Hawks had coming into the first round.