Sixers Suddenly Have Demons to Shake Against Atlanta Hawks

NBA head coaches inevitably pound the cliches with only 20 games remaining in the regular season. Nick Nurse will remind the Philadelphia 76ers that "Every game counts" in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

However, the Sixers are staring at a crucial standings swing on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, an opponent that’s inexplicably given them serious trouble in recent years.

The Hawks have won eight consecutive games against the Sixers dating back to 2023. They’ve swept the first three head-to-head games in 2025-26.

While the city of Philadelphia licked their collective wounds from un ugly Eagles loss on Black Friday, the Sixers closed out Thanksgiving weekend with a disappointing loss of their own. Jalen Johnson dropped 41 points to steal a double-overtime win at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Hawks followed with another win in Atlanta two weeks later.

A rough shooting performance by Tyrese Maxey in his first game after the All-Star Break sunk the 76ers to 0-3 in the season series. The Hawks already own the playoff tiebreaker.

The eight-game streak with Johnson spearheading Atlanta’s efforts doesn’t compare to the magnitude of one of the most devastating losses in franchise history.

Sixers fans inevitably associate the pesky Atlanta Hawks with the infamous loss in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Trading Trae Young won’t erase the painful memories of Ben Simmons sheepishly passing up an open two points in a fateful Game 7 at the (then) Wells Fargo Center.

While a 32-31 opponent isn’t overwhelmingly threatening on the surface, the Hawks sit in striking distance in the Eastern Conference standings, 2.5 games behind the Sixers. While Philadelphia isn't likely to crack the top half of the East for a home series in the first round, they’ll work tirelessly to avoid the unpredictability of the Play-In Tournament. They currently sit in sixth place while the Hawks occupy the tenth seed and final Play-In spot.

Joel Embiid will likely miss his fourth consecutive game while Paul George also watches from afar during a 25-game suspension. Can Tyrese Maxey and the shorthanded Sixers shake the demons of a long current losing streak and a recent painful playoff exit?