Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 6 Preview

The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers (2-3) are in jeopardy of being bounced in the Eastern Conference semifinals as they take on the Atlanta Hawks (3-2) in a thrilling Game 6 matchup. The Hawks will host this one at State Farm Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.

The Hawks have now won two games in a row in this series, including a 109-106 Game 5 victory on Wednesday.
In the victory, Trae Young led all scorers with 39 points, seven assists, and a rebound. Forward John Collins also had a big night with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

In the loss, Joel Embiid fought through knee problems to score 37 points and pull down 13 rebounds. Seth Curry also had a big night adding 36 points and seven rebounds. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, no other player (including Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons) scored in double digits.

The Philadelphia 76ers are the favorites despite playing on the road. They are -152 to win while the Hawks’ moneyline is +128. The spread features Atlanta +3 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 221.5 (-110).

By The Numbers

Offensively, the Sixers have been the better of the two teams this season. They rank 10th in the NBA, averaging 114.4 points per game. The Hawks rank 15th averaging 112.9 points.

Defensively, both of these teams are ranked in the top ten — the Sixers rank fifth overall in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 108.3 points per game. The Hawks rank ninth, allowing 110.7 points.

Sixers Need Big Games From Stars To Push To Game 7

Joel Embiid has done his part in this series despite battling a knee injury, but if the 76ers have any chance of winning, they need more from Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons.

This postseason, Harris has averaged 21.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, but he was awful in Game 5. In fact, he had just four points and four rebounds on the night.

Unfortunately, Ben Simmons has been disappointing, averaging 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He has been especially brutal from the free-throw line, where he is shooting just 32.8%.

As previously mentioned, Embiid has been solid. In nine games this postseason, he is averaging 28.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, but it is also clear that he is hurting.

Hawks Look To Finish Series Out At Home

Coming into the postseason, the Hawks were a bit of an afterthought. Now, they are just one game away from a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. They will look to finish it out at home, where they were 25-11 this season.
Leading the way for the Hawks has been guard Trae Young. He has been sensational, averaging 29.4 points on 43.1% shooting. He is also averaging 2.4 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in ten games.

Bogdan Bogdanovic (15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds), John Collins (14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds), and Danilo Gallinari (11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds) have also been solid all postseason.

Take The Hawks And The Points

There is a reason that Philadelphia was the top seed. They have a trio of stars and make for a matchup nightmare for most teams.

There is also a reason that they are down three games to two, though. Embiid is playing injured, and Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons have been disappointing this series. In fact, the biggest Robin to Embiid’s Batman has been Seth Curry.

Until Philadelphia plays like the dominant team they were in the regular season, it is hard to feel comfortable betting on them. With some momentum and a home-court advantage, taking the Hawks and the three points seems like the smart bet in this one.