Struggles were inevitable for the Wizards, and they arrived in Atlanta. And then some.

Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks - April 24, 2017

ATLANTA For the past two months, the Washington Wizards have been a trendy pick to do well in these NBA playoffs. Since that epic overtime tussle with Cleveland in early February, dreams of a Wizards-Cavaliers Eastern Conference finals have danced in heads in the District and far beyond.

Never mind that the Wizards havent made such a run in nearly 40 years. This team is fun and rising fast and has had some previous playoff success, and the NBA postseason can be mundane because the best teams die slowly, so why not promote an upstart?

Theres only one problem with that level of hype and hope: The Wizards still dont really know how to handle prosperity. And so, if you saw an easy path for them in the East, you must have a powerful imagination.

This may indeed be Washingtons year to go far, but struggle was inevitable. And struggle arrived Monday night at Philips Arena.

You know that first-round series that the Wizards threatened to end quickly after winning the first two games over Atlanta at Verizon Center? Well, they just went on the road and deflated their cushion. The series is tied at two games apiece now, after the Hawks claimed a 111-101 victory despite being required to resurrect a fading point guard and turn an overpaid role player into a game-changing playmaker.

[Wizards fall apart in fourth quarter of Game 4 loss to Hawks]

To keep the Wizards from taking a commanding three games to one lead, the Hawks needed 26 points and 12 assists from the reserve duo of 35-year-old Jose Calderon and Kent Bazemore, a really nice kid who is known more for the $70 million contract he cant live up to these days.

If you had told any sane person that Calderon and Bazemore would need that kind of production to keep the Wizards from winning, the logical reaction would have been to start collecting restaurant recommendations in Chicago and Boston. Because the Wizards were about to go home and end the series, for sure. Instead, Bazemore contributed 16 points and seven assists, transforming into Dwight Howards designated lob thrower. And Calderon finished with 10 points and five dimes, and the Hawks outscored the Wizards by 29 points in the 20 minutes he played.

When Bazemore and Calderon took the stage with Howard (16 points, 15 rebounds) for a postgame interview, it emphasized both a surprise that makes the postseason delightful and a reason for the Wizards to lament a blown opportunity.

I always think Im going to be on the podium, Calderon said, smiling.

I think Im onto something, Bazemore said of his alley-oop passing skills.

And now this will be a long series. I wouldnt say the wizards are in trouble. neither team has lost at home, and Washington still has home-court advantage. But this is now a best-of-three fight instead of an easy road.

The Wizards were left frustrated by shaky defense and the inability to capitalize on a second quarter in which they should have pushed Atlanta to the brink.

Thats where the Wizards lost their handle on this game, at a time when it seemed they had a chance to take further advantage of the Hawks. Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder, who averaged 25 points in the first three games of the series, committed three fouls trying to defend John Wall and had to sit the final 15 minutes of the first half. Calderon, his backup, also had three fouls early in the second quarter, but he remained in the game.

[Best and worst from Wizards Game 4 loss to Hawks]

Washington should have seized the moment and extended the lead. Calderon is a poor defender even when he can be aggressive. But Calderon played well, and the Wizards fell apart when they were positioned to prosper.

Extend the lead? The Wizards lost it quickly as the bench performed poorly, especially on the defensive end. And when the starters returned, the Wizards allowed Calderon to get away with guarding Bradley Beal and didnt fully exploit the mismatch. Calderon actually controlled the action despite the three fouls.

Howard, who has been an offensive non-factor all series, posted a double-double by halftime. Atlanta outscored Washington 31-15 in the second quarter. A solid Wizards first quarter had turned into a 59-50 halftime deficit.

We made a lot of defensive mistakes, Wizards Coach Scott Brooks said of the second quarter. We took a lot of tough shots.

For the third straight game, Wizards power forward Markieff Morris was frustrated and in foul trouble. A fan held up a sign depicting Morris with tears falling down his cheeks and the words CRYBABY written at the top, a reference to Morriss accusation after Game 3 that Paul Millsap is a whiner. Morris played just 24 minutes and scored nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.

The stats say he hasnt shot the ball well, but he hasnt had a rhythm, Brooks said. Hes been in foul trouble ever since that Game 1. But thats part of it. Youve got to play through it. He picked up two [fouls], and he picked up four real quick. And he got the fifth one. h**l bounce back. Ive got confidence in him, how he plays, how he plays for us. I expect him to have a better game in a couple of nights.

Even though Morris played just 10 minutes in the first half, the Wizards contained Millsap. He finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but Millsap made only 2 of 7 shots early. The Wizards still trailed. In every phase of the game, they were struggling and hindering their chances to take a 3-1 series lead. The Wizards would recover and play a good third quarter, but then they allowed Atlanta to score 34 points in the final period and tie the series.

They lost the game in those even quarters, by failing to take command in the second and by failing to close at the end.

It was just too up and down, said Beal, who led all scorers with 32 points. You spend all your time and energy trying to play catch-up, and then you cant finish in the fourth quarter.

Said Brooks: Basically, what I see is two very good basketball teams, evenly matched, fighting for their playoff lives. Were the fourth and fifth seed. The series is tied. Its basically the first to two now.

The game presented a scenario ideal for a road victory, but the Wizards were determined to take a more difficult route, as usual.

For more by Jerry Brewer, visit washingtonpost.com/brewer.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG21c7aB9rGbiizDuX2S_1arV85MQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779469983154&ei=6zX_WKiZD8zMpweq3bSwDg&url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/struggles-were-inevitable-for-the-wizards-and-they-arrived-in-atlanta-and-then-some/2017/04/24/7456b8da-292b-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html