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With the series tied 2-2, the Atlanta Hawks put on a stellar display at the Wells Fargo Center to go ahead in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers. An inspiring second-half comeback resulted in a 109-106 win over the 76ers in Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Atlanta Hawks adopted the Whack-A-Ben Simmons strategy early in the game to cut down the Philadelphia 76ers' double-digit first-half lead. Unfortunately, they could not convert on offense and found themselves 22 points behind at the break.
The introduction of Lou Williams brought in extra energy as the three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year was a game-changer for the Atlanta Hawks. Bogdan Bogdanovic's early foul trouble also ended up favouring the Hawks.
So far, it has been an unexpectedly close contest that might yet go down to the wire. The Atlanta Hawks have shown unmatched grit so far in the series and stand a good chance of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. In order to force a Game 7, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to maintain their concentration level throughout Game 6.
Here's our look at five reasons why the Atlanta Hawks outlasted the Phaldelphia 76ers to take a 3-2 series lead.
#5 Trae Young made the difference once again
Trae Young has struggled with a right shoulder soreness in recent times, but continues to play and keep up his excellent production rate. The injury was visible in the first half as the guard was slow to find his rhythm.
The Philadelphia 76ers were cruising with an 18-point lead at the end of the third quarter but could not stay locked in to see out the game. They choked in the fourth quarter for the second time in two consecutive games to give up their lead.
Although Young cashed in on almost half of his first-half points from the line, he took more shots in the second half and sunk a few 3-point shots. He finished the game with 39 points and seven assists.
#4 The Atlanta Hawks bench outworked the Philadelphia 76ers bench
Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic missed the mark on offense, making Nate McMillan call on the bench for help. Huge contributions from Onyeka Okongwu, Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams secured the victory for the Atlanta Hawks.
Williams single-handedly outscored the Philadelphia 76ers bench with 15 points, while Gallinari recorded 16 points on the night. The Atlanta Hawks comeback started late in the third quarter, with the Hawks going on a run against the Philadelphia 76ers bench.
#3 Improved defense for the Atlanta Hawks late in the game
It was not a top-notch defensive performance from the Atlanta Hawks as they failed to fight through screens and win one-on-one matchups. Overall, it was an at times lazy performance from the Hawks' team in defense because the Philadelphia 76ers were not made to work too hard for their shots.
However, the Atlanta Hawks were impressive with their transition defense. Although they were slow to get their shape right, they managed to force turnovers before the Philadelphia 76ers bench could line up offensively. They recorded ten steals, four blocks, and forced 15 turnovers.
John Collins was the standout performer as he recorded a block late in the game to maintain the Atlanta Hawks' first lead of the night.
#2 The Philadelphia 76ers got too confident
The Philadelphia 76ers came out all guns blazing and gave their fans something to cheer about early in the game. Joel Embiid was perfect from the field in the first quarter, going eight of eight.
It was more of the same in the second and third quarters as the Philadelphia 76ers took a commanding 26-point lead. Seth Curry caught fire from beyond the arc and had arguably one of his best shooting nights in the 2020-21 NBA playoffs. However, as the third quarter drew to a close, the 76ers lost all sense of urgency and allowed the Atlanta Hawks to fight their way back into the game.
What could have been a blowout victory turned out to be one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoffs history.
#1 The Atlanta Hawks did a great job on the offensive glass
Grabbing offensive rebounds played a huge role in the Atlanta Hawks' comeback. The team was able to cash in on second-chance buckets, managing ten offensive rebounds in the game.
Despite Embiid's dominating performance, he spent more time at the perimeter and did not help the Philadelphia 76ers get offensive rebounds. The Atlanta Hawks frontcourt, on the other hand, did a better job clogging the paint and securing rebounds.
Guess the Lakers players!
