Hawks vs 76ers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups
The trade rumors about the Atlanta Hawks can be put to rest, for now. For the rest of the season, the Hawks can focus on trying to move up in the Eastern Conference Playoff Standings. That will start tonight in Philadelphia.
The Hawks are wrapping up a short two-game road trip that began with their loss in Boston on Wednesday. Despite having lost their last two games, the Hawks are playing some of their best basketball of the season. They were on a four-game winning streak and then played games against the Clippers and Celtics right down to the wire. Those teams are arguably the NBA's two best right now and there is no shame in losing close games to the,.
But if the Hawks want to start making moves up the standings, it needs to start soon. The 76ers are a vulnerable team with the amount of injuries they currently have, including superstar Joel Embiid. The 76ers are trying to stay afloat until he returns and they have lost seven of their last eight games and have been losing by double-digits often.
So who wins tonight in Philly? Let's break it down.
Game Preview
This is the fourth meeting between these two teams and the Hawks are trying to even up the series for the season. It is going to be a showdown between two high-powered offenses led by All-Star guards.
The 76ers still have a potent offense, even without Embiid. It is just a different offense. With Embiid, the 76ers are the top free-throw-shooting team in the league. Without him, the 76ers are not as effective at drawing fouls. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris are going to have to play huge roles tonight and have big games if the 76ers want to win. In the last meeting between these two teams, that is exactly what happened. Maxey scored 35 and Harris scored 32, but they could not defeat the Hawks in Atlanta.
The 76ers are 8th in the NBA in PPG, 18th in field goal percentage, 25th in three-point attempts, 21st in three-point percentage, 1st in free three attempts, 20th in rebounding, and 1st in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Philly is 8th in points per 100 possessions, 21st in effective field goal percentage, 1st in turnover percentage, 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 1st in free throw rate.
Maxey is having a brilliant season and there is a reason that he is the front-runner for the NBA's Most Improved Player award. He is averaging 25.3 PPG and 6.3 APG while shooting 45% from the field and 38% from three. He has had big scoring games this season and will likely need to have one in order for the 76ers to win tonight.
Harris has taken a step up with Embiid out and is averaging 18 PPG and 6 RPG while shooting 51% from the field and 35% from three.
Dejounte Murray vs the 76ers
If there is anything that should give the 76ers hope, it is going against the Hawks' defense. Atlanta is last in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, 22nd in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed. Having De'Andre Hunter back should help Atlanta on that end of the court, but Philadelphia has the players, even without Embiid, to take advantage of the Hawks's defense.
On the other end, Atlanta's offense has been playing really well, even against some of the better defenses in the NBA. The Hawks are currently 3rd in PPG, 23rd in field goal percentage, 6th in three-point attempts, 18th in three-point percentage, 4th in free throw attempts, 7th in rebounding, and 15th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 10th in points per 100 possessions, 19th in effective field goal percentage, 10th in turnover percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.
Young is the leader of the offense, averaging 27 PPG and 11 APG, some of the top marks in the league. He did not have his best game against Boston but has been playing really well as of late and is also shooting the ball well.
The 76ers have a good defense with Embiid, but it is not the same without him. Currently, Philly is 14th in PPG allowed, 14th in field goal percentage allowed, 6th in three-point attempts allowed, and 4th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the 76ers are 10th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 8th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
One interesting aspect of this game is the bench for Philadelphia. The 76ers are down several players and their depth is going to be tested tonight.
Injury Report
For the Hawks, De'Andre Hunter (right knee injury management) is probable, while Dejounte Murray is questionable with lower back tightness.
Clint Capela and Mouhamed Gueye remain out.
For the 76ers, Embiid, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, and De'Anthony Melton are all out. The trades for Buddy Hield and Cam Payne are still pending as of right now.
Viewing and Betting Information
Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, NBA TV
Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be favorites on the road tonight, as they are currently 3.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook
Projected Starting Lineups
Hawks:
G- Trae Young
G- Dejounte Murray
F- Saddiq Bey
F- Jalen Johnson
C- Clint Capela
For now, I will project Bey as the starter over Hunter. If Murray is out, look for Bogdan Bogdanovic to start.
76ers:
G-Tyrese Maxey
G- Kelly Oubre
F- Tobias Harris
F- KJ Martin
C-Paul Reed
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