The Washington Wizards rookie John Wall is showing folks exactly why he was nabbed with the No. 1 overall pick, pouring in 12 in the third to singlehandedly keep his team in the game through 36 minutes. Wall has 18 points in his first game at Philips Arena. Georgian Al Thornton has 21 points to lead all scorers.
Atlanta definitely is playing down to the level of its competition, connecting on 41-percent (25-for-61) of its shots and just 3-of-13 from behind the 3-point line. Five Hawks are in double figures, with Al Horford leading the way with 14 points through three quarters.
But Joe Johnson can't seem to find his shot (he's only 5-for-15) and Marvin Williams is a non-factor, both of which do not bode well for the Hawks at the Highlight Factory. Marvin's starvin' to get anything going tonight, he's 0-for-3 from the field and a team-worst -10 when he is on the floor. Two not-so-good stats for the former Tar Heel.
Atlanta should be playing better against this not-so-talented Wizards team, but they seem to have a problem with solving the Washington zone defense. It's looking like this one may come down to the last few minutes.