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The Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks are tied 1-1 heading into Friday's Game 3 at State Farm Arena.
Game 1 went to the visiting Hawks, who escaped with a 128-124 victory. The Sixers recovered to take Game 2 with a convincing 118-102 win.
The next two games of the series will be played at State Farm Arena, where the Atlanta Hawks have not lost in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. However, the Philadelphia 76ers are a far better offensive and defensive team than their first-round matchup, the New York Knicks.
Trae Young, who is averaging 28.9 points and 10.0 assists in the playoffs, has to bounce back from a 6-of-16 shooting night in Game 2 if the Hawks want to get the upper hand in the series.
Collectively, the Atlanta Hawks have to find an answer for Joel Embiid, who has been wreaking havoc all over the court. The Philadelphia 76ers superstar is averaging 39.5 points on 54.3 percent shooting from the field to go along with 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks.
The Sixers need to win at least one of their two games in Atlanta to regain home-court advantage. They could take it back by the end of Game 3 unless Young and company can stop at least one of their 20+ point scorers in the series (Tobias Harris and Seth Curry).
Philadelphia 76ers Injury Report
The Philadelphia 76ers have once again placed Joel Embiid on their injury report for Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks.
Though he hasn’t missed time on the court, Embiid continues to deal with a small meniscus tear while playing in the semifinals.
He is considered a game-time decision but should be good to go come tipoff time.
Atlanta Hawks Injury Report
The Atlanta Hawks have listed three players on their injury report for Friday's encounter with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Cam Reddish will remain on the sidelines as he continues to nurse a sore Achilles. He doesn’t appear to be ready for a return anytime soon.
De’Andre Hunter is out for the season as he undergoes meniscus surgery. His knee bothered him throughout the campaign, and the surgery should resolve the issue once and for all.
Lastly, Brandon Goodwin is out for the season with a minor respiratory issue.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineups
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid looked better in Game 2 and will most likely play in Game 3. The Philadelphia 76ers center will go head-to-head with the Atlanta Hawks’ Clint Capela once again. Mike Scott and Dwight Howard will back him up as usual.
Atlanta Hawks
With De'Andre Hunter out for the season, Solomon Hill will likely start for the Atlanta Hawks again, although coach Nate McMillan might rethink his rotation.
Now that he knows that Hunter isn’t coming back to play in the postseason, McMillan may tweak his lineup for Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Nevertheless, we're labeling Hill as a starter for now, but changes could come if he continues to shoot poorly (2-of-9 in two games).
Reddish’s absence has added to the responsibilities of Danilo Gallinari and Kevin Huerter and has given Onyeka Okongwu more playing time.
Goodwin didn’t play a lot of minutes in the regular season, though he did back up Trae Young. Lou Williams will continue to relieve the Hawks star when he needs a breather.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks Predicted Starting 5s
Philadelphia 76ers:
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:
Point Guard - Trae Young l Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic l Small Forward - Solomon Hill l Power Forward - John Collins l Center - Clint Capela
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