Philadelphia 76ers Vs Atlanta Hawks Game Recap And Observations

The opening quarter was highlighted by the 76ers’ playmaking and communication. Despite the lack of time the players had been on the court at the same time this season, Philadelphia had assists on seven of its first eight field goals.

The trio of Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey shared the court for the first time, and they looked like a smooth fit, but the shots just weren’t falling. George struggled in the field, going 0/3 in the period. Embiid and Maxey each shot 33% in the first. Despite this, Philadelphia still led 29-25 after one.

Edgecombe had a nice first quarter in his return game, scoring five points in nine minutes, shooting 2/2 from the field. Quentin Grimes was a great spark off the bench, scoring seven points in as many minutes. The real reason the 76ers prevailed this quarter was the ability to force turnovers. Atlanta had six in just the first.

Second Quarter

The second quarter went much better for the 76ers’ big three. Through 24 minutes, they’ve combined for 31 of the team’s 58 points. Embiid has played 13 minutes so far, likely indicating his minutes restriction will remain in the 20-25 range.

Grimes and Barlow continued to perform well in their roles. Grimes was up to 12 points, leading all bench scorers. He did head back to the locker room with a few minutes remaining in the half after an ugly-looking collision.

Jalen Johnson has kept Atlanta in this game and is the primary reason the score is 58-57. The star forward has sixteen points and seven rebounds. The Hawks have dominated the rebounding battle and have scored a majority of their points in the paint. This is an unfortunate reality of the new Embiid-anchored defense.

Third Quarter

The third quarter kicked off on an immediate positive note. Grimes returned to the floor and started the second half with Philadelphia’s starting unit. He followed this opportunity up with a great quarter, bringing his points for the game up to 23.

Maxey and Embiid have been the only other 76ers players to really contribute. Maxey had an impressive start to the second half, bringing his stat line to 20/4/6 in 30 minutes so far. Embiid has looked good physically and has been efficient getting to the line as usual. The big man was up to 16 points in 18 minutes.

The 76ers have been the worst team in the NBA when it comes to third quarters this season. With this in mind, heading into the fourth quarter up six against the Hawks is amazing. Starting Grimes over Edgecombe seemed to provide an impressive spark that gave the team momentum to maintain a lead.

Fourth Quarter

The 76ers started off the final quarter with their worst run of basketball all night. They allowed the Hawks to go on a 13-0 run to open the quarter. This did not continue throughout the whole quarter, though, as Philadelphia rallied behind Maxey and his 32 points.

Despite this being perhaps the worst the 76ers have played all game, the fourth quarter was easily the most entertaining to watch. The back-and-forth runs from both teams, and the Maxey takeover was amazing as a fan.

Barlow ended up having the biggest missed free throw of the year, as the rebound was tipped out by George, allowing Maxey to drain his second three of the game. A blown layup by Dyson Daniels and a missed timeout call ended the fourth quarter at 115-115.

1OT

Embiid surprisingly stayed out for this OT period, extending his minutes restriction past its previous high. It was another back-and-forth overtime, which included some more wide-open misses from each side. Philadelphia had found success all night, driving to the rim and drawing contact, and they did this again in overtime.

Both teams challenged a few calls during this extra period, leading to an extended five-minute OT. The repeated contact built up, leading to some Atlanta players getting into foul trouble and even fouling out in Zacharie Risacher’s case.

The stress did not conclude there, as Maxey went to the free throw line up two with four seconds left. The usual reliable shooter missed both, giving the Hawks another chance. Atlanta gave the ball to Johnson, who drove and got to the line and had a chance to tie it up. He did just that, sending the contest to yet another OT period.

2OT

Embiid did not come back in after the first overtime period. His night was over after 30 minutes. His final stat line in his return game was 18/4/2. The rebounding could clearly use more effort, but the former MVP looked good physically.

This OT period was another full-on takeover by Maxey. At one point during the period, he had scored ten consecutive points for Philadelphia, putting his total for the game above 40. He was not, however, the only star to have 40 this game. Johnson led the Hawks with a career high of 41 points. Tired legs ended up costing the 76ers the win, as Maxey faded with over 50 minutes of playing time. Atlanta etched out a 142-134 victory over the 76ers.

End Of My Philadelpha 76ers Rant

For some quick post-game observations, the 76ers looked good. The threes weren’t falling for either team, but Philadelphia was able to score in other ways. Grimes continued to look like a real contender for 6MOTY, and Embiid was decent in his first game back. This team has enough depth to make an impact in the Eastern Conference; they just need to stay healthy to be able to use that to their advantage. They weren’t able to come out on top, but the hard-fought game was a joy to watch.