One team's season is on the verge of ending, but I'm not counting on it ending tonight. Meanwhile, another team's season is about to begin.
1. The Wizards are on the brink of elimination, but they still can win this series!
The Wizards trail the Hawks, 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. After missing over a week due to a fractured left hand and wrist, John Wall still came out balling. Unfortunately, they lost on a last second Al Horford put back shot on Wednesday for Game 5.
Game 6 is tonight at Verizon Center at 7 p.m. It is a truly must-win game. I know that we feel that the season is almost sure to end, let's also keep in mind that the Wizards had a chance to at least make Game 4 an overtime game if Paul Pierce made his shot, and they also could have won Game 5 if Nene grabbed that rebound.
Speaking about Game 5's outcome, the NBA ruled that Paul Pierce's three shouldn't have counted because Marcin Gortat was involved in a moving screen... Yikes!
I would think that tonight's game will be another close affair, but now Wall's back and most of the rust from his game on Wednesday should be gone now. If they can win this game tonight, Sunday can really go either way. I'm still optimistic for a Wizards vs. Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals series. You know the NBA wants that series revived, right?
2. Game 5 was lost in large part because the Hawks put more defensive ball pressure on the Wizards late in the game.
Umair explains here. Washington was leading by multiple possessions at times during the fourth quarter, but there were several plays that turned this thing around in favor for ATL.
3. Should Randy Wittman's job still be in question?
With the Wizards in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight season, you would think that the Wizards head coach's job is now safe. But after two consecutive losses, JonSimkins13 believes that Wittman still needs to go if the Wizards are to make long term progress and wrote a FanPost on it.
4. Bradley Beal has been really good during this playoff series
There's a lot to feel bad about this week with the Wizards just 48 minutes away from being sent on vacation. But Mike Knapp wrote a FanPost that Beal really showed what he could be in his prime during Wall's absence from Games 2 through 4 vs. the Hawks.
5. Mystics training camp starts next week
The Mystics and all WNBA teams will start training camp next week. For Washington, most of last year's roster will return, including 2014 All-Rookie guard Bria Hartley and two-time All-Star guard Ivory Latta. Many players are already in D.C. and have done some photo shoots in front of a green screen if you look at the team's Instagram page.
Also, if you haven't had a chance to read it already, rookie forward Ally Malott gave a Q&A to Zac Boyer or the Washington Times earlier this week. Click here to read it. Malott was the eighth overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
The Mystics' first preseason game will be on Thursday, May 23 in Louisville as they play the Atlanta Dream in a very hostile road environment. It's because Atlanta's franchise player, Angel McCoughtry, and All-Star guard Shoni Schimmel played their college basketball there. Washington will play at Verizon Center on Wednesday, May 27 against the Minnesota Lynx in a matinee game. After, they will travel on the road to play the Indiana Fever on Friday, May 29 in another matinee.
The Mystics' first game is on Friday, June 5 on the road against the Connecticut Sun, and their first home game is on the following day when they host the New York Liberty.