Brandon Apter (@bapter23), Managing Editor
The Sixers (7-41) return to action tonight for the first time since Saturday as the Southeast Division leading Hawks (28-22) visit the Wells Fargo Center, the third meeting between the two teams this season. Atlanta has taken both matchups by scores of 127-106 and 126-98 respectively. The Hawks have won nine of 10 against the 76ers, averaging 109.3 points in those games.
Philadelphia is coming off of one of their more heartbreaking losses of the 2015-2016 campaign against the defending champion Warriors. Golden State led by 24 in the third. After Stephen Curry hit a three to put the Warriors ahead 13 with 3:45 to go, it seemed like that had sealed the win for Golden State. Instead, the Sixers answered by going on a 15-2 run to tie the game with 22 seconds remaining, capped by an Isaiah Canaan four-point play to make it a two-point game and an Ish Smith dunk to tie things at 105. The only problem for the Sixers is that 22 seconds was plenty of time for the defending champs to make a move and they did just that. Brett Brown opted to do what most teams would in a time like this, which was double team Stephen Curry. That left Harrison Barnes wide open for three in the corner. He sunk it and the Warriors emerged victorious, 108-105. While the Warriors didn't need free throws to beat the Sixers, the Sixers could have used their free throws to beat the Warriors. Philadelphia hit just 11 of their 21 shots from the line, including a combined 4-for-12 from Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor.
Meanwhile, the Hawks come to town fresh off a 112-97 victory against Dallas following a three-game skid. Though Atlanta still leads their division at 28-22, they haven't been playing extremely well as of late, losing five of their last seven games, including defeats at the hands of the Kings and Suns, two teams the Sixers have beaten. Point guard Jeff Teague led the Hawks to their win against Dallas, hitting 12 of his 15 shots from the floor for a season-high 32 points. Atlanta prides themselves on ball movement, averaging 25.2 assists per game, good for a second place tie with the Spurs in the NBA. Atlanta tallied 32 and 36 assists respectively in their two previous wins against Philadelphia.
Game Notes:
- Jahlil Okafor has averaged 20.0 points on 57.1 percent shooting and 7.0 rebounds in two matchups against Atlanta this season.
- The Hawks are 12-14 on the road this season after putting together a 25-16 record last season. They've lost six of the last eight away from Atlanta and averaged just 91.2 points in those games.
- In 17 games since joining the Sixers, point guard Ish Smith is averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
- Philadelphia shot 36.4 percent from three-point range in January and got great numbers from Hollis Thompson (45.7%), Robert Covington (40.9%), Nik Stauskas (40.9%) and Isaiah Canaan (39.6%).
- Atlanta has made 23 three-pointers in the two matchups with the Sixers this season.
- Philadelphia ranks last in the league in scoring with 94.9 points a night, but they have scored 100 or more in five of their last eight games, a stretch in which Robert Covington has hit 29 three-pointers.
Lineups:
Sixers
PG – Ish Smith – 11.6 ppg, 6.6 apg
SG – Nik Stauskas – 7.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg
SF – Robert Covington – 11.4 ppg, 1.6 spg
PF – Nerlens Noel – 10.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg
C – Jahlil Okafor – 17.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg
Injuries: Joel Embiid (broken right foot rehab, out)
Hawks
PG – Jeff Teague – 14.9 ppg, 5.5 apg
SG – Kyle Korver – 9.3 ppg, 3.5 apg
SF – Kent Bazemore – 12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg
PF – Paul Millsap – 17.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg
C – Al Horford – 15.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Injuries: Tiago Splitter (hip, out)
Game Information:
Tip-off: 7PM
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
