What an ideal time to begin a street journey for the Philadelphia 76ers!
The Sixers kick off a fast however robust two-game roadie with a visit to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. There are quite a lot of causes this matchup that may not sound terribly scary on paper may pose an issue for the Sixers.
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The largest difficulty is that they may proceed to be without Joel Embiid for at least another week after the group advised reporters at observe on Friday he’s progressing via individualized energy and conditioning work as he continues to recuperate from the indirect pressure and might be re-evaluated in every week.
To make issues worse, rookie VJ Edgecombe is at the moment listed as doubtful for the Saturday contest as he continues to heal from a again contusion suffered from a tough fall in a sport on Tuesday. Edgecombe missed the next sport internet hosting the Utah Jazz on Wednesday after which missed observe on Friday. Paul George additionally stays unavailable as he continues his suspension.
The Hawks are a lot more healthy proper now, with solely Jonathan Kuminga listed as questionable with knee irritation on their harm report on the time of writing.
Atlanta won’t appear to be this massively formidable opponent on paper with a 32-31 file up to now this season, however don’t overlook they’re 3-0 in opposition to Philadelphia this season up to now — and it’s value noting that Philadelphia was a lot much less shorthanded for a few of these losses.
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(The Sixers’ opponent on Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers, are also 3-0 in opposition to them this marketing campaign. Again, a brief however probably lethal street journey.)
The Hawks are additionally having fun with the alternative momentum of the Sixers proper now in that they’ve been stringing collectively extra success within the later half of the season. Atlanta is on a five-game win streak, have received six of their final seven and are 12-6 of their final 18.
It’s fascinating to have a look at the Hawks’ roster as an “outsider” additionally, since you won’t see many names that you just actually acknowledge from years previous, however Atlanta has quite a lot of gamers acting at the perfect (in some circumstances, by far) that they ever have of their multi-season careers. Jalen Johnson is continuous his All-Star season averaging career-highs of twenty-two.7 factors, 10.5 rebounds and eight.0 assists per night time. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is placing up a career-best 19.8 factors per night time and taking pictures 37.5% from lengthy vary on a 8.1 try per night time clip. Six-foot-ten middle Onyeka Okongwu is scoring 16.2 factors per night time and hitting 38.6% of threes on a 5.5 try common, all career-highs.
That’s not mentioning the greater than a handful of gamers down the depth of the roster that may put up double-digit factors — some with the aptitude for a lot greater scoring bursts — any given night time, resembling Dyson Daniels, Jock Landale, Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert, Kuminga (if he’s obtainable) and others.
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All of that is to say don’t let the Hawks’ file and even their roster idiot you. Atlanta at the moment leads all the NBA in assists per sport with 30.5. They are eighth within the league in offensive score at 117.6 and seventh in three-point effectivity at 36.8%. This is a group that traded Trae Young on the deadline and has solely been getting higher since. It’s a squad getting the very best of every of their gamers individually, and it’s leading to increasingly success as a unit.
So, a group taking part in their greatest, battling to climb up the East coming in on a five-game win streak in opposition to a Sixers’ squad that has 2024-25 season vibes at occasions proper now… what may go fallacious?
This can be, sadly, not the time for a significant skid for the Sixers. As of Saturday morning, Philadelphia sit in sixth within the Eastern Conference at 34-28. The drawback is that the hole between the Sixers and the subsequent few groups, all the way down to the Charlotte Hornets in tenth place, is simply three video games on the most. There is a number of room to fall and it received’t take a lot for the Sixers to begin tumbling quick. Philadelphia did win their final sport, simply barely beating the tanking Jazz on Wednesday night time, nevertheless it didn’t encourage a number of confidence in how the subsequent few video games may go.
But, as they are saying, the present should go on.
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The Sixers and Hawks tip off at 6 p.m. ET.
Game Details
When: Saturday, March 7, 6:00 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers
