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The Atlanta Hawks will look to take a surprise 2-0 lead when they play the 1st-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the 2021 NBA playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday.
The Hawks upset the 76ers in Game 1, thanks to Trae Young and co. starting the game all guns blazing and helping the team take a gigantic lead in the first quarter. The Philadelphia 76ers had Joel Embiid back in the lineup, but careless turnovers cost them the series opener.
Match Details
Fixture - Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers | Game 2, 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time - Tuesday, June 8th, 2021; 7:30 PM ET (June 9th, 5:00 AM IST).
Venue - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers were sloppy and came out with no sense of urgency. It seemed as if they assumed they would get an easy win against the 5th-seeded Atlanta Hawks, with Embiid back in the lineup.
However, the 76ers had nine turnovers in the first quarter of the game as the Hawks surged ahead 42-27. The Philadelphia 76ers started the second quarter just like they had the first. With the 76ers continuing their turnovers, the Atlanta Hawks went on an 11-0 run as the latter's lead ballooned to 26 points.
The Philadelphia 76ers did rally towards the end of the game, but that wasn't enough, and the Hawks hung on to a win. Nevertheless, the 76ers shot pretty well from the field. Tobias Harris had 20 points on 8-13 shooting, Seth Curry had 21 on 7-12 shooting, while Matisse Thybulle went 4-6.
Ben Simmons went perfect from the field, shooting 7 for 7, but his struggles at the charity stripe continued as he went 3-10 on his free throws. His inability to make free throws has cost the Philadelphia 76ers plenty of times down the stretch, with the opposition employing strategies like 'Hack-a-Simmons', intentionally fouling the player.
Key Player - Joel Embiid
The best player on the court in Game 1 was undoubtedly Joel Embiid, who played with an injured knee. He dropped 39 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks for the Philadelphia 76ers while shooting 12-21 from the field and making 14-15 free throws. Regarding the pain in his knee, Embiid said:
"Playing on a torn meniscus is not easy...the pain is gonna be there, that's normal. It's all about managing it, and doing whatever it takes to win. My goal is to win a championship. I'm gonna put my body on the line to make sure that happens."
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ben Simmons l Shooting Guard - Seth Curry l Small Forward - Danny Green l Power Forward - Tobias Harris l Center - Joel Embiid.
Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks came out all guns blazing in Game 1. They shot 72% from the field in the first 15 minutes of the game and took a massive 26-point lead. The 76ers were left scratching and clawing their way out of the deficit the entire game. Trae Young led the 76ers' charge with 12 points, five assists and two steals in the first quarter, ending the half with 25.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins came up huge, scoring 21 points apiece, while Clint Capela had 11 points and ten rebounds. However, a major factor in the Hawks' win was their bench, as they outscored the 76ers 34-23.
Kevin Huerter led the way with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. The Atlanta Hawks have now stolen a game on the road, and even if they lose Game 2, they'll be heading home with the series tied at 1-1. But if they end up upsetting the 76ers once again on the road, the dynamic of the series will shift significantly in their favor.
Key Player - Trae Young
Trae Young is enjoying his first-ever playoff run. He has now scored the most points (146) in the first five career playoff games in Hawks' history.
Young is leading his team in points and assists in every playoff game, averaging 30.2 points and 9.8 assists per game thus far. He is a central player in the Atlanta Hawks' offense, and most of the team's plays run through him.
It is only natural to assume that Doc Rivers' strategies would be focused on stopping Trae Young.
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Trae Young | Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic | Small Forward - De’Andre Hunter | Power Forward - John Collins | Center - Clint Capela.
Hawks vs 76ers Match Prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to enter Game 2 with a chip on their shoulders. They cannot afford to lose another game at home and head to Atlanta down 0-2, so the 76ers are expected to be extra aggressive in scoring and defense.
They should have more bodies diving for loose balls, and they are unlikely to be as careless with the ball as they were in Game 1. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks established their dominance in Game 1 and now have an opportunity to steal another game despite added attention on Trae Young.
Where to watch the Hawks vs 76ers game?
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals between the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadephia 76ers in the 2021 NBA playoffs will be televised nationally on TNT. The game can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Is LeBron James set to leave the LA Lakers any time soon?
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