The Atlanta Hawks matched-up with the Philadelphia 76er’s for the third time this season, this time at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly. The Sixers took the lead for good on a Joel Embiid go-ahead jumper with 18.6 seconds remaining in the fourth. The Hawks did have a chance to retake the lead, but Trae Young turned the ball over and missed a 46-foot three-pointer as the clock expired.
This was a back-and-forth affair as usual for these two sides, at least in recent memory. These two teams have been tied at the hip after their epic 7-game series in 2020.
Atlanta started this game strong jumping out to a 34-23 lead at the end of the first. Much like their other losses during this losing-streak, Atlanta blew yet another double-digit lead. The Hawks were outscored in the second, third and fourth quarters.
The Hawks had a balanced team-effort with six players scoring in double-figures. Young & De’Andre Hunter led the way with 18 points each. The tough pill to swallow for Atlanta fans is the fact that this was one of their better three-point shooting nights as a team this season. Atlanta shot 12-27 from beyond the arc and 50% from the field overall.
Sloppy basketball doomed the Hawks, as they turned the ball over 20 times compared to 12 from Philly, and were outscored in the paint 42-52.
This was Embiid’s first game back following a four-game absence with a foot injury. The Sixers’ All-Star finished with 30 points, 7 assists and 8 rebounds, in 35 minutes of action.
The Hawks will travel down to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic Wednesday night. Atlanta last saw the Magic at home in October for a 108-98 victory. They hope for much of the same on Wednesday and to get back in the W column. Tip-off for this one is at 7:00 p.m. eastern from the Amway Center.
