WASHINGTON — Guard Jeff Teague scored 26 points as the Atlanta Hawks broke out of an offensive funk for a 106-101 victory over the Washington Wizards in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series on Monday night.
Bouncing back from a buzzer-beating loss Saturday in Game 3, Atlanta evened the best-of-seven series 2-2.
Forward Paul Millsap scored 19 points and center Al Horford had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta, the top seed in the East.
Playing its third straight game without injured All-Star guard John Wall, the Wizards trailed by nine points with 3:40 remaining, and could not pull off another last-second miracle after getting as close as 104-101 in the closing seconds.
Forward Paul Pierce, who hit the game-winning jumper in Game 3, missed a wide-open 3-pointer with 6.9 seconds remaining. Millsap sank two free throws for the final points with less than one second remaining.
The Hawks led 65-55 at halftime and withstood multiple rally attempts by the fifth-seeded Wizards, who got 34 points from guard Bradley Beal. Pierce scored 22 points and made five of six 3-pointers before his final miss.
Teague buried a 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining to put the Hawks up 104-97 after the Wizards scored five straight points to pull within three.
Reserve guard Dennis Schroder scored 14 points for the Hawks, and the Atlanta’s bench outscored Washington’s 32-17.
The Wizards made 12 of 26 from beyond the arc, but missed seven of nine in the second half. Center Marcin Gortat struggled throughout inside, shooting 1 of 7 from the field for three points.
The teams have swapped styles at times this series, but truly went into full reversal in Game 4.
Atlanta was one of the most prolific 3-point-shooting teams during the regular season while the Wizards ranked 27th in attempts. Washington’s interior size led to points in the paint.
Instead, the Hawks primarily attacked the basket with drives and passes, especially during the first half. Atlanta shot 59.1 percent and doubled up Washington with 32 points in the paint for a 65-55 halftime lead.
The Wizards’ early production came largely from the perimeter. Pierce made all four of his 3-point attempts as Washington finished the half 10 of 15. That doubled Atlanta’s output (5 of 9) from distance. Beal sank three 3-pointers and had 15 points with seven assists in the first half.
The Hawks committed just one turnover while taking a 29-26 lead after the first quarter.
NOTES: Wizards G John Wall has yet to resume practicing, coach Randy Wittman said. Wall remains unable to dribble a basketball due to swelling in his fractured left hand and wrist. The amount of swelling is “headed in the right direction,” Wittman said. Wall last played in Game 1 against Atlanta on May 3.
Wall suffered five non-displaced fractures in his left wrist and hand in Game 1. … Hawks F Paul Millsap returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench for Game 3 due to flu-like symptoms. … Entering play Monday, F Paul Pierce made multiple 3-pointers in each of Washington first eight playoff games this year. He continued that trend by making five 3-pointers on Monday. … Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Atlanta.