The Atlanta Hawks competed at home in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament against the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers on Nov. 17 and Nov. 21. Entering as a top 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks hoped to improve their regular season standing and aimed to place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Hawks fall to Sixers, unable to contain Embiid
The Hawks looked to bounce back from a 116-113 loss at home against the New York Knicks on Nov. 15 and improve their tournament record to 2-0 after beating the Detroit Pistons in their tournament debut.
The first quarter began with the Hawks committing seven fouls and ended with the Sixers leading 30-24. Reigning NBA MVP center Joel Embiid got off to a fast start, giving the Sixers an early lead.
The Hawks’ struggles with perimeter defense this season continued as forward Tobias Harris and guard Tyrese Maxey got multiple good looks and hit open shots. The team, led by forward Jalen Johnson, were able to keep up with the Sixers, as Johnson provided the Hawks a much-needed spark on both ends of the court. Guard Trae Young’s ankle-breaking three pointer on Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton was the first quarter highlight.
To start the second quarter, both teams played tight defense to shut down multiple fast break opportunities. The Hawks ultimately went on a 10-0 run to take a 34-30 lead with center Onyeka Okongwu coming off the bench and creating offensive momentum with five points, three rebounds and strong defense. However, the Sixers responded with a 12-5 run, ultimately leading 57-56 at halftime.
The third quarter began with limited action until a minute and a half passed. When Embiid attempted a mid-range jump shot, Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter fell to the ground. In response to the shooting foul called against him, Hunter argued the call and received a technical foul. Later, Hunter received another second technical foul and was ejected from the game. He finished the night with nine points and one rebound in 18 minutes.
Embiid converted both free throws for the shooting foul, and Maxey converted both technical free throws to give the Sixers a four point lead. While Atlanta was able to retake the lead, they squandered it with several untimely turnovers. This allowed Philadelphia to take a 94-87 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Missed free throws, turnovers and timely shooting hurt the Hawks as the Sixers led by as much as 16 with under four minutes remaining in the game. The Sixers defeated the Hawks 126-116.
Young was hopeful despite the loss against the Sixers. He noted his trust in Quin Snyder’s coaching to win more in the regular season and look ahead to the playoffs.
“We know where we need to be and where we’re going to be at the end of the year,” Young said at the post-game conference. “That’s the bright spot, just understanding that we [are] not even close to where we need to be to win at the highest level in the playoffs … You want to win as the season goes on, but you also want to be ready when that time comes.”
Young led the Hawks with 22 points and 13 assists, while Embiid led the Sixers with 32 points and seven rebounds. Snyder acknowledged Embiid’s skill set and the challenge of guarding him.
“It’s tough when he’s not dribbling,” Snyder said. “He’s stationary. It’s hard to help, but I thought we settled in, did a few things. Anything that you do over a consistent period of time — he’s capable of figuring it out because he’s so skilled.”
Pacers close Hawks out with clutch threes
The Hawks continued their home stretch with an NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Pacers on Nov. 21. Seeking a win after losing two games in a row, the Hawks challenged the Pacers with heavy offense.
Both teams contributed to high scoring outputs in the first half. With strong performances from guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Johnson, the Hawks led the Pacers 86-73 in the first half.
Although the Hawks had a 13-point lead entering the second half, guard Tyrese Haliburton knocked down a few key threes and guided the Pacers towards a comeback with 24 points in the third quarter. The Pacers entered the fourth quarter 119-114.
Murray and Young made threes to help the Hawks stay afloat after a 10-point deficit. Going basket-for-basket and being down 150-149, guard Buddy Hield converted a three-pointer to give the Pacers a two point lead. Hawks forward Saddiq Bey equalized the score with a layup.
Hield answered with a three of his own, which gave the Pacers a three point lead. In the last eight seconds, Murray attempted a contested layup against guard Aaron Nesmith but missed the game-tying basket.
The Pacers won the game 157-152, and both teams finished with 309 points overall, marking the highest scoring game in 32 years. Haliburton finished the game with 37 points and 16 assists. On the Hawks side, Young finished with 38 points and eight assists, Murray with 28 points and Bogdanovic with 26 points.
“We were hard to guard, and the scoreboard reflected that,” Snyder said. “ It was a tough game. All losses are tough, but I felt like we competed [in this game], and then we went through a really tough stretch.”
The Hawks play the Cleveland Cavaliers in their next NBA In-Season Tournament matchup on Nov. 28.
