The Chicago Bulls are one of the most celebrated teams in NBA history as they have won a total of six titles. The team recently lost to the Atlanta Hawks and looked completely outmatched. Here are three observations from that game, including what it says about basketball’s future when an entire culture is shifting towards smaller lineups.
The “76ers choke again” is a sentence that describes what happened in the Philadelphia 76ers game against the Atlanta Hawks. The team lost and three observations from the game were made.
The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Thursday for their last home game of the season, after a big triumph over the Boston Celtics on Monday. They were pitted against the Atlanta Hawks, who were without several of their important players. The Sixers were in a neck-and-neck contest down the stretch, as they had been in most of their previous games.
In the last seconds, they had a chance to win the game, but Joel Embiid’s shot was blocked. In the end, the Hawks pulled off a 98-96 win despite their weak roster.
Following their heartbreaking defeat to the Hawks, here are some thoughts on the Sixers.
3. The team’s three-point shooting struggles persist.
It’s no secret that the Sixers have had trouble shooting from beyond the arc lately. Once again, their failure to get a shot to fall from long range was a factor in their demise. They hit just 6 of their 27 tries from downtown, shooting 22.2 percent.
Just Embiid and Seth Curry attempted shots from beyond the arc for the Sixers, but they combined for only four attempts. Two three-point tries are insufficient for a guy like Curry, regardless of the circumstances. Tobias Harris (0-6), Furkan Korkmaz (0-3), Matisse Thybulle (0-3), and Isaiah Joe were among the less-than-stellar performers (0-3).
When the Sixers don’t score from deep, Embiid’s life becomes much more difficult. Before he can impose his power around the rim, defenses may shorten the floor and throw more people at him. The Hawks were able to drop into a zone defense and block off many routes due to their poor shooting.
With each game that passes, the team’s shooting slump becomes more of a problem. The Sixers must first find a way to be more productive from beyond the arc if they are to get back on track.
2. Tyrese Maxey returns the favor.
Tyrese Maxey returned to the Sixers’ lineup against the Hawks after missing time due to a hip ailment. The 21-year-old did not skip a beat, which came as no surprise. Maxey finished the game as the team’s second-leading scorer with 17 points in 33 minutes of bench time.
There’s no questioning Maxey’s importance to the Sixers, particularly in the absence of a certain unhappy guard. When he’s in the lineup, the offense takes on a new dimension. Few players can match his speed and agility, much alone the scoring punch he can provide.
For the rookie guard, Thursday was a near-perfect comeback. Doc Rivers said after the game that he only intended to play Maxey for 15 minutes, but after seeing how he looked on the court, he decided to extend his time with him. Based on this performance, Maxey looks to take little to no time to look like the player we are used to seeing.
1. Another chance squandered
To be honest, the Sixers should not have lost this game. When the season is finished and the standings are tallied, the defeat to the Hawks may be something they wish they could change. The Sixers had everything working for them with a two-day layoff, playing on their home court, and being the healthier team. But, unfortunately, they failed.
There will always be the odd slip-up throughout a lengthy season, but a defeat like this is practically unacceptable. The Hawks were missing the bulk of their starting lineup, including sensation Trae Young. The Sixers snoozed their way into the game and suffered the price.
Every night, whether the roster is full or not, there is NBA-caliber talent on the court. The Sixers have a horrible history of playing down to depleted opponents, which they must break quickly.
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76ers vs hawks game 4 was a close match. The 76ers were able to win the game, but there were some interesting points that I noticed during the game.
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