When Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce hit his winner Saturday, he did so over Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schröder. Pierce was initially guarded by Kyle Korver, but the Hawks switched when the veteran used a screen. DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta's best wing defender, watched from the bench, which he revealed postgame was his decision:
Video: #Hawks post locker room - DeMarre Carroll on why we wasn't on floor for game winning shot by Pierce pic.twitter.com/4Mepu6kpoW
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) May 10, 2015"Coach did put me in," Carroll said. "But I didn't feel comfortable at the time. So I'll take that one. I should've been in the game. I didn't feel comfortable as far as physically."
Some context: The Hawks were down by 20 with about seven minutes left when head coach Mike Budenholzer went with an all-bench unit. That group got them back into it, and Korver was the only starter who re-entered the game. The lineup on the last possession for Atlanta was Schröder, Shelvin Mack, Kent Bazemore, Korver and Mike Muscala. It's not as if Carroll's absence particularly stood out.
It's relevant, though, that Budenholzer wanted to put Carroll back in. The forward has been the team's most consistent player this postseason, and his comment about not feeling physically comfortable has to be worrying. The last thing the Hawks need is for him to be out of sorts.
Washington has a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Monday.
(HT: The Score)
