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2015 NBA Playoffs: Winners And Losers Of The First Round

By Gerald Bourguet

May 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) hug after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. Clippers won 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) and guard Chris Paul (3) hug after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. Clippers won 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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2015 NBA Playoffs
Apr 27, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) holds off Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) to chase a lost ball during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at Barclays Center. Brooklyn Nets won 120-115 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Winner: DeMarrre Carroll

If you’re looking for the reason the Atlanta Hawks avoided losing an embarrassing first round series against the lowly Nets, look no further than DeMarre Carroll. Al Horford came to life in Game 5 and Kyle Korver finished Brooklyn off in Game 6, but the Junkyard Dog was undoubtedly Atlanta’s first round MVP, and it wasn’t close.

For the series, Carroll averaged 17.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from three-point range. He locked up Joe Johnson for pretty much the entire series, he was making the unnoticed hustle plays and his two-way play was consistent throughout the series to make up for wavering performances from the rest of the team.

Carroll scored at least 20 points in the last four games of the series. He may have been the only Hawks starter to not make the All-Star team, but in the first round, you wouldn’t have been able to tell by his play.

Loser: America

I really don’t want to bash on the Brooklyn Nets. I have no particular problem with the Brooklyn Nets. But in the interest of watching good basketball, watching the Brooklyn Nets for six games was some odd form of NBA torture for me and the rest of America.

Aside from that throwback Deron Williams performance in Game 4, did anyone particularly enjoy this series? Nets fans may have been happy to see their team actually play defense and push the series to six games, but for the rest of the world, was watching the Hawks play uninspired basketball fun?

Add in the fact that the only reason this 38-win team made the playoffs in the first place is because of these stupid conferences and it was hard to get excited about an underwhelming Barclays Center “cheering” their team on to a six-game series. So yeah, thanks for that, Hawks.

Next: Rockets vs. Mavericks