In The Post: Hawks 104, Sixers 95
The Sixers hit the road on Thursday night to take on the Hawks in Atlanta for game 1 of their home-and-home series. With the score close at the half as…
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 10: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after a foul during the first half during action against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 10, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)The Sixers hit the road on Thursday night to take on the Hawks in Atlanta for game 1 of their home-and-home series. With the score close at the half as the Hawks led, 46-42, at halftime. Atlanta eventually used a 12-0 run in the third quarter to push their lead to 14. The 76ers trailed by as much as 20 in the game and made it really difficult to overcome that deficit, falling in the end. Here are a few things that stood out:
- Joel Embiid was strong offensively, finishing with team-highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds. But had his issues dealing with foul trouble (4 through three quarters) and had seven turnovers to lead all players. A few of them live ball giveaways. For the big fella, that’s something that has been an issue of his for many years and continues to be a problem. When will this be corrected?
- Tyrese Maxey has had a lot of spectacular games during his short career. Thursday night was a tough one for him and he has to find ways to fight through those difficult shooting performances and still be able to impact the game in a positive way. Maxey had the ball in his hands a lot as the point guard, even with the De’Anthony Melton out there on the floor. He seemed to struggle a bit with some of the ball pressure, going earlier than he would like and deciding when to look for his shot within the flow of the offense versus getting others a good look. Part of his development for sure.
- Danuel House Jr. provided the Sixers with some good minutes (19-plus). Offensively he showed a little bit of everything, putting the ball on the floor, moving off the ball and knocking down his only shot from distance. Defensively, House Jr. was very active getting his hands in the mix disrupting Atlanta's offensive flow. After missing the last two games due to a non-Covid illness, it was good to see his activity turn into positive results.
- Both teams struggled from beyond the three-point line on Thursday night, neither able to get it going from deep. Philadelphia and Atlanta each made six three-pointers on the evening. The Sixers shot 20 percent, with Atlanta shooting 23 percent.
- Protecting the ball as a team was once gain an issue for the 76ers. They committed 17 turnovers that led to 19 points for the Hawks. More turnovers for Philadelphia than assists (15).
These two teams will be right back at it on Saturday night in Philadelphia for game 2 of the series, and will be the first game of a back-to-back as they will also host the surprising Utah Jazz on Sunday.
