The 76ers’ late push wasn’t quite enough to overcome the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, resulting in a 128-124 loss.
Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers in his return to the court, finishing with 39 points, while shooting 12-for-21 from the field and 14-for-15 from the line.
Atlanta led, 42-27, after the first quarter and by as many as 26 in the first half. The deficit proved costly for the Sixers, which closed the gap to two points in the game’s final seconds.
Ultimately, the Sixers shot 54.9% overall (45-82 fg) while Atlanta shot 51.2% (44-86 fg), but the Sixers’ 19 turnovers (nine in the first quarter) were difficult to overcome.
Atlanta shot 42.9% from deep (20-47 3fg), while the Sixers shot 34.5% (10-29 3fg).
Trae Young led Atlanta in scoring, finishing with a 35-point, 10-assist double-double, plus two rebounds and two steals.
Key Contributors:
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Tobias Harris
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Harris notched a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, plus three assists and three steals. Harris shot 8-for-13 from the field.
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Seth Curry
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Curry scored 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists, shooting 7-for-12 from the field and 5-for-9 from long range.
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Ben Simmons
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Simmons finished with 14 points, four rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, and a block.
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Matisse Thybulle
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Thybulle, who had some success guarding Young in the second half, finished with a bench-high and new playoff career-high 10 points. He shot 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from long range, plus a steal and a block.
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Furkan Korkmaz
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Korkmaz scored seven points on 3-for-5 shooting, plus four rebounds, in 11 minutes of play.
Turning Point:
The Sixers’ fourth quarter push (resulting in out-scoring the Hawks, 41-29, in the frame), was nearly enough for a comeback Game 1 victory.
The Sixers only gave up two turnovers in that fourth frame, while Atlanta gave up six. The Sixers shot 60.0% from the field (15-25 fg) and 44.4% from deep (4-9 3fg) in the final period.
Quote to Note:
Simmons is hungry for more.
Up Next:
It’ll be a quick turnaround before the rematch, as the Sixers and Hawks return to The Center for Tuesday’s Game 2.
Five Hawks finished in double-figures Sunday, including 21 points from John Collins, and another 21 from bogdan Bogdanovic. Clint Capela notched a 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Tuesday’s Game 2 tips at 7:30 p.m. ET.