Al Horford game-winner leads Atlanta Hawks to 82-81 victory over Washington Wizards

By Adam Silverstein
May 13, 2015

Going back-and-forth in the final minute on Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks eventually pulled off an 82-81 victory over the Washington Wizards in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on the back of a game-winning layup by center Al Horford.

The former Florida Gators star flew into the paint just seconds remaining, grabbed an offensive rebound and laid the ball in with less than two seconds left, turning a potential one-point loss into a one-point victory.

“I was just supposed to set a screen for Kyle [Korver]. I seen that it got a little crowded in there, Paul [Milsap] was supposed to get the rebound if he missed but you know, it’s the end of the game, we’re making plays, we’re just trying to win. I just went ahead and got it and put it back in,” he told TNT sideline reporter David Aldridge after the win.

Horford, who went 10-for-18 from the field and 1-for-1 from beyond the arc, had a tremendous game for the Hawks on Wednesday, posting a double-double with team-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds. He also led Atlanta with five blocks, a career high in the NBA Playoffs.

Matching Horford point for point was Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who scored a team-high 23 to go along with seven boards, four assists and three blocks. Combined, the former Florida standouts scored 28.2 percent of the total points in Wednesday’s game.

The Hawks hold a 3-2 lead in the series as they look to advance to the conference final round of the playoffs for the first time in team.