The Atlanta Hawks (29-8) and the Philadelphia 76ers (7-29) will go head-to-head tonight for the second of four meetings this season.
The two teams first met back in Atlanta on December 10, where Paul Millsap and former Sixer Kyle Korver led the Hawks with 17 points each to help them to victory. Only one Sixers starter reached double digits in points that game, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute with 12. Michael-Carter Williams nearly had a triple-double, however with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking for their third consecutive win, having won three of their last four games. Saturday evening, they narrowly defeated the Indiana Pacers, 93-92, led by Tony Wroten's 20 points and Michael Carter-Williams go-ahead bucket with a little under ten seconds remaining of game action.
What to Watch For:
Atlanta, coming off of a 120-89 victory over the Washington Wizards Sunday, has been one of the best teams in the league as of late. Stats LLC writes:
The Hawks (29-8) have gone an NBA-best 22-2 over the last six-plus weeks while holding opponents to 93.3 points per game. Atlanta, which began that 24-game span with nine straight wins from Nov. 28-Dec. 12, has outscored foes by an average of 10.0 points during its current run.
Kyle Korver: Since being traded by the Sixers on December 29, 2007 for Utah's Gordan Giricek and a 2010 1st round draft pick, the now 33-year-old shooter has made himself a name in the NBA. He holds the NBA record for most consecutive games with a made three-pointer, 127, and also holds the NBA record for highest three-point field goal percentage in a season, 53.6%. In five seasons with Philadelphia, Korver averaged 10.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of 40.9% beyond the arc.
Bench will be more involved: The Sixers are in the midst of a rough back-to-back schedule, as they will head to Toronto after tonight's game in Philadephia to face the Raptors Wednesday evening. Expect even more contributition tonight from the bench than in the past, as coach Brett Brown will look to keep the starters fresh.
Game Information:
- Tip-off: 7:00 pm EST
- TV: CSN Philly | Radio: 97.5 FM
- Sixers injuries | Hawks injuries: None
Atlantic Division Standings:
- Toronto Raptors (25-12)
- Brooklyn Nets (16-22, 9.5 GB)
- Boston Celtics (13-23, 11.5 GB)
- Philadelphia 76ers (7-29, 17.5 GB)
- New York Knicks (5-35, 21.5 GB)
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Sixerdelphia.com.
