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The Atlanta Hawks will look to even the series at two games apiece when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on Monday. The 76ers took the lead early in Game 3 and never let go. The Hawks were left scratching and clawing their way out of the deficit the entire night.
Trae Young had a great game but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get a win. The Atlanta Hawks now have another opportunity to grab a win in front of their home crowd to avoid going down 1-3 in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals of the 2021 NBA playoffs.
Match Details
Fixture - Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks | Game 2, 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time - Monday, June 14th, 2021; 7:30 PM ET (June 15th, 5:00 AM IST).
Venue - State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks were outplayed in Game 3 at home. They couldn't get past the 76ers defense and get their shots off. The Hawks shot 6-23 (26.1%) from the three-point line and under 50% from the field. Moreover, Clint Capela wasn't able to match Joel Embiid and Trae Young was getting harassed by Ben Simmons. They had several size mismatches and the Hawks needed to find a new way to overcome the top-tier defense of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Trae Young spoke about the defensive mismatches after the game, saying,
"It’s not anything we can’t adjust to...Obviously, if I had the answers, we wouldn’t be talking about it right now."
John Collins dropped 23 points on 10-14 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic played 39 minutes and contributed with 19 points on 7-13 from the floor. Danilo Gallinari made just nine shot attempts in 30 minutes of playing time and made four of them but went 0-4 from beyond the arc. Lou Williams needed more significant minutes and shot attempts. Moreover, De'Andre Hunter has been replaced by Solomon Hill in the lineup.
Key Player - Trae Young
Trae Young is the Atlanta Hawks' franchise player and the team cannot win any games if he ends up having a poor shooting night. Young is averaging 28.0 points and 9.7 assists per game while grabbing 1.7 steals a night on a remarkable 46/33/92 shooting split. Trae Young had a game-high 28 points in Game 3 along with eight assists and two steals on 9-17 shooting, including 3-6 from downtown. The Hawks are going to need another monster outing from him in Game 4 to overcome the 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a prime position to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Atlanta Hawks. They control the pace of the game and choke the Hawks players with their sublime defense. Matisse Thybulle, Ben Simmons and Danny Green have been excellent in guarding Trae Young on switches and Joel Embiid is guarding the paint with authority. Meanwhile, Seth Curry is shooting lights out and sinking roughly five threes per game on an astonishing 60% efficiency from beyond the arc.
However, the Philadelphia 76ers faced a major blow when their forward, Danny Green, went down with an injury. He left the floor after just four minutes of playing time in Game 3 and is reportedly sidelined until the end of this series and might also not see the floor in the next series.
Green is a three-time champion who won his most recent title just last year with the LA Lakers. He spaces the floor and provides shooting along with veteran experience. He was replaced by Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz in spurts along with Matisse Thybulle on occasion.
Key Player - Ben Simmons
Joel Embiid is undoubtedly the Philadelphia 76ers' best player and leading scorer in recent times. But Ben Simmons is more important to this series due to his defensive responsibilities on Trae Young. Young is the central piece of the Hawks offense, and shutting him down is the main priority of the 76ers which Simmons handles perfectly. He takes advantage of his size and gives Young a hard time on the floor. Meanwhile, if Simmons also dedicates some energy in scoring the basketball and driving in the lane, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to win with ease.
Predicted Starting 5's
Philadelphia 76ers
Point Guard - Ben Simmons | Shooting Guard - Seth Curry | Small Forward - Furkan Korkmaz | Power Forward - Tobias Harris | Center - Joel Embiid.
Atlanta Hawks
Point Guard - Trae Young | Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic | Small Forward - Solomon Hill | Power Forward - John Collins | Center - Clint Capela.
76ers vs Hawks Match Prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers are the favorites to take a 3-1 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks. The latter has had no answers for the 76ers defense and Joel Embiid is having his way in the paint. Although he is great at grabbing boards, Clint Capela needs to be more assertive on the defensive end.
However, with Danny Green missing, one can expect the Hawks to grab a win at home. The Philadelphia 76ers' spacing and shooting has taken a hit and Green's defensive prowess will be missed as well. Trae Young and co. need to capitalize on this opportunity and even the series at 2-2.
Where to watch the 76ers vs Hawks game?
Game 4 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.
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