The Atlanta Hawks equalized the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 103-100 win. Although the offense doesn’t really get going for long stretches of the game, Joel Embiid also has a horror evening on the other side. Led by Trae Young, the Hawks earn the comeback win.
The point guard was his team’s top scorer with 25 points. Although Young, like his colleagues, had problems with his shot (8/26 FG, 3/11 three), he set a personal playoff career best with 18 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 22 points (9/24 FG), John Collins (14 and 12 rebounds), as well as Clint Capela (12 and 13) put on a double-double.
However, Atlanta hit only 36.6 percent from the field and 30 percent from downtown. This led to an interim 18-point lead for the Sixers, but they fell apart in the second half. Joel Embiid in particular remained completely pale offensively after the change of sides. He finished the game with 17 points at 4/20 from the field and 21 rebounds.
The guests’ best scorer was Tobias Harris with 20 points, followed by Seth Curry with 17 points. Ben Simmons scraped a triple-double (11, 12 rebounds and 9 assists) but also dived in the second half. The second half went to the Hawks with a total of 54:38, which equalized the series. In the night on Thursday it continues in Philadelphia.
Compared to Game 3, there were changes in the starting lineup on both sides. Furkan Korkmaz replaced the injured Danny Green in the Sixers, while Kevin Huerter replaced Solomon Hill in the top five for the home side. Both teams would have imagined the start of the game to be much better, neither the Hawks nor the Sixers did much offensively.
Sixers take control – Hawks shooter cold
While Embiid didn’t take a single finish in the zone in the first quarter, instead being satisfied with 4 jumpers to the ring from the middle distance, Young also had enormous problems with his throw. The Hawks bigs also missed several alley oops, allowing Philly to slowly take control midway through the leg despite a 1/8 start. After eight minutes, Curry sank the first Sixers three of the game, his second a little later put Philadelphia at +10. The guests went into the second quarter with 28:20.
At the start of the round, Young sat on the bench with a heavily packed right shoulder, and Embiid also had to be loud TNT be treated in the dressing room. Both came back on the field, however, and five minutes into the second period Young floated his first goal of the day, followed by a three from Embiid, also his first field goal. The Hawks fought back within striking distance, but Harris and Embiid now dominated at the other end. Philly regained control with a 17-3 run, the visitors were up to 18 points ahead. At halftime the Sixers were 62-49.
After the change of sides, the Hawks offense ran much smoother, a crashing dunk by Collins brought the home side back to 8 points before Harris got the celebrating Hawks fans back on the ground. The fans were after another Collins Putback Hammer but back. After a hard foul by Simmons on the Hawks-Big, he conceded a flagrant 1.
Embiid with horror evening – Hawks turn the game
Collins was everywhere now though, another dunk followed by a Gallinari three point bringing Atlanta to 75-77. Embiid, meanwhile, was completely cold in the third quarter. The center missed all of his 7 attempts from the field. The third quarter finally went to the Hawks with 31:20, who were completely in the draw again (80:82).
A Bogdanovic triple put the Hawks ahead for the first time in what felt like ages at the start of the final period. But the Sixers bank around Shake Milton (8) gave the guests the upper hand again, but only for a short time. When the starters came back, Young alley-ooped Capela to put the Hawks ahead a good five minutes before the end. The State Farm Arena was boiling.
It was very exciting. While Embiid committed an offensive foul and another turnover, the home side missed some good chances to extend their lead. Korkmaz sank an important triple, but Collins answered from downtown. Embiid continued to be a shadow of his former self, Young putting Atlanta back in front.
At +1, Atlanta lost the ball with 16.6 seconds left, but Philadelphia couldn’t punish that anymore. Embiid missed a layup, Simmons failed at the tip-in. Young increased from the free-throw line, a last three-goal attempt by Curry was too long. Victory for the Hawks!
The most important statistics
Atlanta Hawks (5) – Philadelphia 76ers (1) 103:100 (BOXSCORE), Serie: 2-2
- From the perspective of the Hawks offense, the first half can easily be described as catastrophic. The hosts had miserable shooting rates of 33.3 percent from the field (17/51) and 29.4 percent from downtown (5/17). Atlanta also left open opportunities from a distance and even close to the ring. In the zone, the Hawks only hit a weak 9/27 FG.
- Still, Philly couldn’t dominate the zone as they had in previous games. This was also due to Embiid, who preferred to act outside the zone for long stretches of the game – without success. He only had 2 shots close to the ring, but he was 2/9 from the middle distance. In the points in the paint, Atlanta even had a slight advantage (40:34).
- In the third quarter, the Hawks increased their shot rates a little, but that didn’t change the fact that it wasn’t a great shooting night for Atlanta. The problems returned in the final section, and Atlanta ultimately ended the game with 36.6 percent from the field and a three-pointer quota of 30 percent (Philly: 43.5 percent FG and 40.7 percent three-pointers)
- The fact that the Hawks stole the win despite these odds was also due to the turnover discrepancy. The Sixers passed the Spalding 12 times, including 4 turnovers in the fourth quarter. That was as many as Atlanta afforded the entire game.
Hawks vs. Sixers: The Voice of the Game
Joel Embiid (Sixers) on his lay-up just before the end: “I just couldn’t take off. Normally I would have tried to dunk the ball. But there are no excuses. I have to play better.”
Clint Capela (Hawks) on Embiid: “Once you wear him out a bit, everything becomes more difficult for him. When he gets tired, it’s a different game.”
The star of the game: Trae Young
While the 22-year-old’s odds were far from outstanding, his impact on the game was unmistakable. In some cases, he put his teammates in the limelight in an excellent manner and then took over the command himself in the crunch time. His ice-cold floater put Atlanta back in front, then he kept his nerve from the free-throw line.
The flop of the game: Joel Embiid
In the second half there was nothing to be seen of the dominant Embiid of the first games. After the break, the Cameroonian didn’t hit a single one of his 12 field shots, and his last attempt to take the lead was also doable – in the last 25 years no one has had attempts without a goal in a play-off half. He definitely didn’t look fit and partly tried to force his throwing luck.
The scene of the game
In the third quarter, it was Collins’ poster slams – three in a matter of minutes – that breathed new life into the Hawks. Especially worth mentioning: the putback dunk over Embiid midway through. In the final section he then got a monster block against Harris.
Sixers vs. Hawks: The series at a glance
| game | date | time | Home | away | Result |
| 1 | 6. June | 19 o’clock | Sixers | Hawks | 124:128 |
| 2 | 9. June | 1:30 | Sixers | Hawks | 118:102 |
| 3 | 12. June | 1:30 | Hawks | Sixers | 111:127 |
| 4 | 15. June | 1:30 | Hawks | Sixers | 103:100 |
| 5 | 17. June | 1:30 | Sixers | Hawks | |
| 6 | 19. June | tba | Hawks | Sixers | |
| 7* | 21. June | tba | Sixers | Hawks |