The Atlanta Hawks held off the Philadelphia 76ers, 127-121, on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Philly was missing Joel Embiid (meniscus procedure) and Tyrese Maxey (illness) in this game, and the Hawks dominated this game for three quarters. However, the 76ers made it interesting down the stretch to give their fans some hope.
The Hawks got out to a quick 6-0 lead, scoring all three buckets in the paint. Without Embiid, Atlanta knew they could finish easier at the rim more often than not. Philly countered with a 7-2 run, as newly-acquired Sixer Buddy Hield drove to the rack around Bogdan Bogdanović. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson hit back-to-back triples before Johnson attacked a closeout and threw a perfect lob to Onyeka Okongwu for a slam. The Hawks extended their lead to 27-19, as Okongwu dominated down low early for 10 quick points. Atlanta committed their only turnover on its final possession of the quarter, taking a 37-26 lead into the second frame. Johnson showed his all-around skillset with five points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Hawks ballooned their lead 47-32, doing damage from the paint and beyond the arc. Sixers Center Paul Reed collected 10 points and 10 rebounds, converting three and-ones in the first half. Most of that damage occurred when Okongwu sat on the bench. After a sluggish offensive stretch from both squads, Trae Young broke the lid on the rim with a three-pointer, adding to Atlanta’s impressive 7-13 shooting from downtown. Head Coach Quin Snyder drew up his signature a play for an Okongwu three to extend the Hawks lead to 62-47. Atlanta led 73-56 at halftime behind Young’s 18 points and eight dimes, while Okongwu scored 17.
Coming out of halftime, Kelly Oubre Jr. drove against Bogdanović, but Oubre Jr. head-butted the Hawks’ shooter and no foul was called. Bogdanović went down to a knee for the Hawks’ offensive possession, but gathered himself and got revenge. He blocked Oubre Jr.’s shot on the next possession and knocked down a triple as the Hawks built a 20-point lead. It looked like Atlanta would run away with the game, but too many turnovers allowed Philly to keep the game out of blowout territory. However, the Hawks still held a comfortable lead throughout the frame. Saddiq Bey grabbed an offensive rebound over three 76ers and drew a foul, hustling on every play throughout the contest. His free throws gave Atlanta an 85-68 advantage. The Hawks Kept Philly at a safe distance due to their 14-26 red-hot shooting performance from beyond the arc. Johnson threw down a thunderous dunk near the end of the quarter to stun the Philly crowd. The Hawks held a 103-86 lead after three quarters, shooting 57% from the field, 52% from deep and 93% at the charity stripe.
After a nice dish from De’Andre Hunter to Bruno Fernando for a layup, The Hawks appeared the be in cruise control to start the final frame. However, the Sixers pounced on Atlanta’s inability to score effectively after the opening fourth-quarter minutes. Philly went on a 9-1 run, punctuated with back-to-back Cameron Payne triples, to bring the Hawks’ lead to 109-100. The Sixers strung together an extended 27-14 run from the five-minute mark in the third quarter to make this a ballgame. They increased their defensive intensity, and Atlanta struggled to organize itself on offense, often shooting with the shot clock draining down to its final seconds. Philly cut the deficit to seven, but Young righted the ship for the Hawks, scoring six straight points to bring the lead back to 115-104. The Sixers made another 9-3 run before Johnson rolled to the rim, finishing a monster dunk to put the Hawks up eight. Johnson locked down Tobias Harris and Hield on a key possession inside a minute to go sealing Atlanta’s victory.
Young finished 37 points (10-21 FG) and 12 assists to lead the Hawks. Okongwu posted 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. His production when he gets over 30 minutes a night speaks volumes to his development and readiness for a larger role. Johnson put up an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Bey also grabbed 11 boards and scored 18. Bogdanovic added 13, and Hunter scored 11 off the bench.
For the Sixers, Oubre Jr. totaled 28 points and 12 rebounds, and Harris got hot in the second half for 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Payne and Hield finished with 20 points each in their team debut, while Reed finished with a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double.
The Hawks have a quick turnaround with a back-to-back against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night at State Farm Arena. Atlanta aims to start another win streak on this quick, two-game homestand.
