With the NBA in infinite quarantine, I am continuing my quarantine diary where I give my thoughts to a game whenever a game becomes accessible. These will become a bit more frequent now that all games have become accessible.
Saturday’s edition is on the third game of the season as the Philadelphia 76ers looked to remain unbeaten against the Atlanta Hawks on the road. Both teams entered the game 2-0 and it was a battle of the unbeatens down at State Farm Arena on October 28.
First Quarter
- The Hawks jump out early to a 7-0 lead as the Sixers offense just can’t buy a bucket and they make a lot of early mistakes. Ben Simmons then finally gets Philadelphia on the board and Josh Richardson makes his first 3-pointer with the Sixers after missing his first eight over the first two games of his Sixers career.
- Man, Trae Young is so impressive. Young puts a nasty crossover on Richardson and he then drills a deep triple for Atlanta. The Sixers may have to send more help to whoever is defending Young in this one. Richardson responds by using his size to score down low.
- Holy hell, Young with a ridiculously deep 3-pointer for the Hawks followed by two triples from Jabari Parker and it’s a 24-11 lead for Atlanta. Young really does have a lot of Stephen Curry in him. The handle, the deep shooting ability, and the size is all there.
- Philadelphia gets a few buckets from Joel Embiid as he returns after missing a game and Matisse Thybulle as well, but they trail the Hawks 40-31 after one as Young scores again. The Sixers need to do something about this kid.
Second Quarter
- The heroes from the win over the Detroit Pistons, Tobias Harris and Mike Scott, are struggling to begin this one. Good thing for the Sixers they have Embiid back. The big thing is, Philly can’t stop Young. He’s having his way right now.
- Shake Milton again is coming off the bench and giving Brett Brown some solid minutes. The Sixers had hopes that he would become a legitimate rotation player for them. He and Thybulle knock down threes and Philadelphia is back within 2.
- The coach’s challenge of fouls is a bit much for me. Do we really need a coach challenging a call in the second quarter? It just seems unnecessary. Save it for the fourth quarter or something.
- A Richardson triple and an Embiid free-throw give the Sixers a 54-53 lead. The defense has been much, much better in this quarter. Atlanta has just 13 points at the 2:50 mark of the quarter.
- At the 1:36 mark, Scott gets called for a ridiculous flagrant-2. How does that warrant an ejection? A flagrant-1? Sure, but a 2? Come on, Rodney Mott. Be better.
- The Hawks lead is 65-63 at halftime. It would have been larger if not for Embiid and Richardson for the Sixers. Harris is 1-for-7 so far after his 29 points against Detroit the other night. Young has 19 points.
Third Quarter
- Woah! Embiid did not have to do John Collins like that! That man has a family! And the shimmy!? Sheesh, Joel. He got a technical for that? Again, Rodney Mott, be better.
- Al Horford knocks down a triple to cap a 10-0 Sixers run. That’s just the third shot he has taken in this game as he looks to find a niche on this team.
- This game is chippy as hell. Both teams are messing with each other and trying to gain a mental edge. A Vince Carter 3-pointer does give Atlanta a 78-73 lead. The Sixers have not scored since Horford’s 3-pointer at the 7:24 mark.
- Milton makes a free-throw at the 3:06 mark to end the team’s scoreless drought. He later knocks down an open 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 81-78. He is a really solid player for this team.
- Just as I say that he bangs knees with 45.8 seconds left in the third and is announced as out for the game. That is so unfortunate for a kid who was finding a groove.
- Embiid continues to have his way down low as he scores twice to bring Philadelphia to within 83-82 after three quarters. He has 25 points through 36 minutes of play. Young was scoreless in the third.
Fourth Quarter
- Other than an Embiid triple to begin the quarter, the Sixers offense has been terrible. They go scoreless once again for a long time before Harris scores at the 6:32 mark of the fourth. The offense just comes and goes with this team.
- This Hawks team has a lot of young talent. Their youth and energy is giving Philadelphia fits. De’Andre Hunter knocks down a three and the lead is now 98-90 for Atlanta. The Sixers are doing a much better job on young, but he is now setting up his teammates more due to the attention he’s receiving.
- Embiid and Simmons are slowly bringing Philadelphia back into this game. The basketball IQ put on by Simmons is a really impressive thing to behold. Horford grabbed a rebound and threw it out to Simmons and he then rifled it inside to Harris who got fouled.
- The Sixers offense has gone cold other than getting to the foul line. To be fair, they count as points too so as long as they make their free throws, they will be OK in this one. On top of that, the defense has been pretty good compared to what it was to start this game.
- Harris with a big-time bucket down low to push the Philadelphia lead to three. You know, his ability to score from different spots on the floor has to be one of the more impressive parts of his game.
- Collins gets a little bit of revenge from earlier. He works his way around Embiid and Horford and he ties the game at 103 with 7.4 ticks left.
- Collins then fouls on Embiid on the hi-low, he hits two from the line, Carter misses, and the Sixers escape 105-103. The big fella comes through.
Embiid finishes with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists to win it for the Sixers. Philadelphia is now the only unbeaten team left in the Eastern Conference and they will now return home for a big matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. [lawrence-related id=27917,27907,27899]