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The Atlanta Hawks fell into a 2-1 deficit in their second round series vs. the Philadelphia 76ers with a loss on Friday evening. The outcome was not in much doubt after a third quarter thumping by the Sixers. Atlanta will now look to rebound at home in Game 4.
The Hawks threw more bodies at Joel Embiid in Game 3 after the All-NBA center torched them for 79 points in the first two games of the series. Embiid responded by dishing out eight assists to go with his 27 points and and nine rebounds. So while Atlanta stopped him from dropping 40 again, Philadelphia kept clicking as a whole.
Ben Simmons had his best game of the series, posting 18 points and seven assists while making life hard on Trae Young on the other end. Tobias Harris continues to be an issue, as he posted 22 points and eight rebounds on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor.
Simply put, the Hawks will have to find something defensively if they want to get back in this series. They haven’t been able to slow down the Sixers and Philadelphia has been able to make them work hard for buckets in the past two games. Since the first-half three-point barrage in Game 1, Atlanta has look pedestrian on offense, and worse on the defensive end.
The Sixers’ bench has also came to life in the past two games as well, with significant contributions from Furkan Korkmaz, Shake Milton and Dwight Howard helping push them to a series lead after dropping Game 1.
Injuries
De’Andre Hunter (knee), Brandon Goodwin (minor respiratory condition) and Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness) all remain out for the Hawks.
Joel Embiid (meniscus) will again be questionable on Monday for the Sixers, and don’t be surprised if the 76ers make him a game-time decision yet again. Based on how he has played so far this series, and it would seem surprising to say the least if he doesn’t suit up.
Danny Green (calf strain) has been ruled out for two to three weeks, which makes his return to this series extremely unlikely.
The Line
For those who may be interested, Philadelphia opens as a 3-point favorite for Game 4 after handling Atlanta on it’s own floor Friday evening.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, June 14, 7:30 pm ET
Location: State Farm Arena
TV: TNT
Radio: 92.9 The Game (Atlanta); Hawks Radio Network
Streaming: Watch TNT