7:40 pm
June 16

Hawks @ 76ers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Atlanta Hawks (41-31)

@ Philadelphia 76ers (49-23)

 

Current odds:

Atlanta Hawks: (+210)

Philadelphia 76ers: (-250)

 

• The spread for the game is Philadelphia by 6 points.

• The fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks evened the Eastern Conference semifinal series with a hard-fought 103-100 victory on Monday. The Sixers will host Game 5 on Wednesday. Franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid, who’s playing with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, went 0 for 12 in the second half and 4 for 20 overall. Ben Simmons attempted just one shot in the second half and was off the floor for the final possession largely because of his woes at the free-throw line.

• Embiid still finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds, but the Sixers couldn’t hold an 18-point lead. Simmons has been criticized for his unwillingness to shoot, and that narrative was brought up again after a three-point second half. Five Sixers scored in double figures, led by Tobias Harris with 20. But the Sixers’ championship aspirations hinge mostly on Embiid’s health.

• The young Hawks, who dispatched the New York Knicks in five games in the opening round, will look to continue their positive momentum. They can take solace in the fact that they won with Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring 47 points despite shooting 17 of 50 from the floor. Young also handed out 18 assists despite nursing a sore shoulder.

• This scrappy group kept fighting, even when it fell behind by 18 and recovered for Atlanta’s largest playoff comeback in 25 years. The Hawks didn’t shoot particularly well. The offensive execution was shaky at times. Clint Capela (13) and John Collins (12) combined for 25 rebounds, which also played a major role.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Philadelphia 76ers
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