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The Atlanta Hawks failed to take advantage of their home court, and were obliterated 111-127 by the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals.
It was another case of the first quarter deciding the game. Both teams traded blows for blows early on in the game, with either side failing to pull away. It was a nervy first quarter as we witnessed unnecessary turnovers and poor decision making. But the Philadelphia 76ers won the quarter 28-20 thanks to their bench's contribution. The Sixers controlled proceedings the rest of the way to beat the Atlanta Hawks.
Danny Green headed to the locker room with a calf injury after four minutes of play in the first quarter and did not return. The severity of the injury will be determined after an extensive diagnosis is completed.
That said, here are the five talking points from the game.
#1 Poor shooting from 3-point range by the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks shot 42% from beyond the arc in Game 1, which was the main reason for their victory. The Philadelphia 76ers made adjustments heading into Games 2 and 3 to take away their 3-point shooting.
The Philadelphia 76ers did a better job defending the perimeter, preventing open looks, and forcing the Atlanta Hawks to take contested shots.
The Nate McMillan-led team shot a paltry 26.1% (6 of 23) from three-point range, and with Embiid on the floor, they faced more resistance in the paint.
#2 The Philadelphia 76ers bench outscored the Atlanta Hawks bench
The Philadelphia 76ers bench provided the much-needed separation against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter. Furkan Korkmaz registered eleven points in that period alone, while Dwight Howard ended the quarter with a tap-in to get on the scoreboard.
The Atlanta Hawks bench put together a decent shift, registering 32 points with Danilo Gallinari leading the charge, but Philly's bench managed 48. It was a difficult scoring night overall for the Hawks, as the 76ers' defense did a great job containing them.
#3 Philadelphia 76ers' superior defense was on full display
The Philadelphia 76ers showed the NBA community why they finished the regular season with the 2nd best defensive rating. It was a clinical performance from the team as no one put a foot wrong.
Matisse Thybulle came in for Green and recorded two quick steals in the first quarter. The main focus of the defense was on stopping Trae Young from getting hot from beyond the arc, and they executed their plan to perfection. Young went 3-of-6 from three-point range, two of which were deep threes.
In contrast, the Atlanta Hawks defense looked exhausted as the Philadelphia 76ers attacked the lane with ease.
#4 The Philadelphia 76ers were aggressive on offense
The Atlanta Hawks couldn't match the Philadelphia 76ers' pace, probably because they were not expecting such intensity. Ben Simmons had his best game of the 2021 NBA playoffs as he was present everywhere.
Although his free-throw shooting is still mediocre, Simmons converted 50% of his attempts from the line. The 6'10 point guard was aggressive on both ends of the court.
Simmons finished the game with 18 points, shooting 63.6% from the field. He was unguardable on offense and was a menace to Trae Young defensively, forcing him to make extra passes.
#5 Joel Embiid put up another dominating performance
Joel Embiid has once again shown why he would have been a deserving MVP with another masterclass against the Atlanta Hawks. His 27 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists have helped the Philadelphia 76ers go ahead in the series.
Like Anthony Davis, every Embiid fall made the hearts of 76ers fan skip a bit as it is evident he is still nursing the meniscus injury that he's dealing with. Regardless, the big man kept going till the final whistle.
If the Atlanta Hawks hope to have a fighting chance in this series, they have to devise a strategy to stop Embiid because Clint Capela cannot do the job alone.
Guess the Lakers players!
