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#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.
