The Atlanta Hawks are alive in their first-round playoff series with the Washington Wizards after winning a crucial game three on their home floor. After losing the opening two games in the nation's capital, the Hawks had to win game three at Philips Arena to still stand a chance of progressing and they did that in convincing fashion with a 116-98 rout of the Wizards.Paul Millsap led the team in scoring with 29 points along with 14 rebounds. Point guard Dennis Schroder also had a big game as he posted 27 points. The game was effectively over as a contest after the first quarter when Atlanta took a 38-20 lead and never looked back. The bad blood that developed between the teams during the first two games clearly spilled over into this clash in ATL as things got a little chippy between some players. Following the encounter, the Wizards' Markieff Morris described Millsap as a "crybaby" and said he got plenty of calls simply for that reason. When the Hawks All-Star was asked for a response during a post-game press conference, he wasn't keen to give it much attention but Schroder's reaction, however, was absolutely priceless.

The German seemed to be embarrassed by what he heard and sent the assembled media into laughter. It's all a bit petty but it adds to the occasion and makes for some intense games. 

Schroder also had his own personal battle on the court with fellow guard John Wall which stems from a playoff series between the teams in 2015 where they developed some tension.

Competitive

With the Hawks now getting back on track, we finally have a series on our hands and things could get interesting in the next two matchups. 

We can certainly expect to see a better version of the Wizards after a lacklustre performance last night, bar Wall.

Atlanta also proved that they can compete with Washington and Mike Budenholzer's team will have the momentum going into game four after this resounding triumph.

Rookie Taurean Prince also made a huge contribution to the victory with 16 points and continues to keep his place in the starting lineup despite playing sparingly throughout the regular season. 

But a worrying sign for head coach Budenholzer is the form of center Dwight Howard. The big man didn't contribute much to the offence as he scored just five points and attempted only four shots.

This series continues with game four in Atlanta on Monday and it should be fun to watch.