We saw the Philadelphia 76ers deliver a 44-point massacre in their first of two match-ups this week, but look out for a vengeful Atlanta Hawks tomorrow. Don’t forget that the Hawks won by 18 in the first meeting last January.
Catch the game live tomorrow, Saturday, at 7:00 AM, Manila time.
HOME TEAM: Philadelphia 76ers (at home)
Projected Starting Five
- Ben Simmons
- Seth Curry
- Danny Green
- Tobias Harris
- Joel Embiid
The Sixers are working with the momentum of two-straight blowout victories. Prior to Wednesday’s 127-83 win over the Hawks, they also ragdolled the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-90. Both performances have been good answers to their recent four-game skid.
There are no eye-popping numbers in the aforementioned one-sided affair or the regular season series. In the recent encounter, Philadelphia simply jumped into a 20-point lead at the end of the first quarter and proceeded to cruise. Six scored in double figures and the team collectively shot 53.9% from the field, including 16-for-36 from deep.
Joel Embiid is the only main Sixers scorer to play in both match-ups with the Hawks this season. He’s averaging 20.5 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game in 24 minutes of play. The other two key scorers just had their season series debut against Atlanta – Tobias Harris scored 17 and added seven boards and six assists, while Ben Simmons had eight points, four rebounds, and six dimes across 16 minutes.
The Sixers have won back-to-back ATS, but they were 0-5-1 in the six games prior. Their games have gone under three straight times.
AWAY TEAM: Atlanta Hawks (on the road)
Projected Starting Five
- Brandon Goodwin
- Lou Williams (Kevin Huerter is day-to-day)
- Solomon Hill (Bogdan Bogdanovic is day-to-day)
- John Collins
- Clint Capela
The Hawks have dropped back-to-back games, and they’ve also failed to score over 86 points on both occasions. It’s right after they racked up six wins in eight outings.
Wednesday’s embarrassing rout can probably be chalked up to a classic off-night. John Collins, who had a team-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, was the only bright spot as the rest shot a combined 19-for-70 for a horrendous 27.1% clip.
It didn’t help that Kevin Huerter and the scorching Bogdan Bogdanovic (21.9 PPG in April) were also sidelined. Both swingmen are considered game-time decisions.
Nevertheless, we should see Collins lead the charge again tomorrow. He’s averaging 18.3 PPG on an efficient 66.7% shooting over his last four, a stretch that began after Trae Young’s ankle injury. Hopefully, the other scorers can back him up better if Huerter and Bogdanovic remain out, namely Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari.
The Hawks are 7-4 in their last 11 games ATS. Their games have gone under seven times in that same stretch, including all previous three.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread:
The Sixers (-9) should be able to get another win, but considering that the Hawks will try to make up for Wednesday’s disastrous performance, this game may be closer. I see Philly failing to cover.
Over/Under:
It’s a very manageable number for two capable offenses. Go with the over 222.5.
