The Philadelphia 76ers are at home, closing out a four game homestand against the Atlanta Hawks after a chaotic trade deadline. The Sixers have lost two in a row and are 1-7 over their last eight games. The Hawks have also lost their last two games and are 4-4 over their last eight games.
Who: Atlanta Hawks (22-29) at Philadelphia 76ers (30-20)
When: 7:00 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia PA
Watch: NBA TV, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Spread: Sixers +2.5 | Hawks -2.5
Moneyline: Sixers +120 | Hawks -142
Total: Over/Under 246
Honestly, who knows where to begin when it comes to who’s going to start for the Sixers tonight? Joel Embiid, Nico Batum, and DeAnthony Melton, are all regular starters are out with injuries as well as Robert Covington. In addition, the Sixers traded away Daniel House Jr., Marcus Morris Sr., Pat Beverley, Furkan Korkmaz, and Jaden Springer at the deadline yesterday.
This Sixers team has lost seven of their last eight games played and there doesn’t seem to be any reason that’s going to change tonight. While All-Star guard, Tyrese Maxey, will be on the court and giving his usual 150%, the Sixers will only have Tobias Harris as the other regular starter in their lineup. Paul Reed can be expected to start at center, Kelly Oubre Jr. will take up the other forward spot, and we’ll probably see a lot of Terquavion Smith and Ricky Council IV in tonights game.
Philly is likely going to be overwhelmingly short-handed tonight as their deadline acquisitions of Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne are both listed as out for the evening. Going forward, the Sixers will need to address the lineup issues through the buyout market and hope to get lucky in that area if they’re going to put together a full lineup.
The Hawks are coming to town having lost their last two games, including a 125-117 loss to the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. Atlanta is currently 22-29 on the season and in 10th place in the Eastern Conference but they held firm at the trade deadline, keeping their roster intact for the remainder of the season and a hopeful playoff push.
Having Trae Young on the team means they’re going to be exciting, and paired with Dejounte Murray, the Hawks have a young and talented back-court. While Murray’s name had been tossed around leading up to the trade deadline, the Hawks felt it was important to keep him as he would represent their best option over anyone that they would have been able to acquire.
The Hawks still have Bogdan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson, and DeAndre Hunter so it’s not like they have a poor lineup. The real problem for the Hawks is their defense or should I say, their lack of defense. They currently rank 28th out of the 30 teams in the league with a 120.0 defensive rating. While their offensive rating, coincidentally also 120.0, is good enough for 10th in the league, the Hawks just haven’t been able to get any sort of consistent defensive effort as a team. Tonight may be a good one for them to gain some confidence as they’re facing a decimated Sixers lineup.
Between the injuries and the trades, the Sixers are limited in who they can put on the court and how they’ll be playing.
They know exactly what they’ll get from Tyrese Maxey as he hasn’t let his team down this season and is faced with the added weight of having to carry the team in Embiid’s absence. Tobias Harris has been all over the place throughout the year and you’re never quite sure if he’s going to go for 25 points and 10 rebounds or you’ll be getting six points and 3 rebounds out of him.
In addition to the regular starters, Kelly Oubre Jr. has not been able to get himself into any sort of rhythm since returning from his injury in December and center Paul Reed is another wildcard who can get you points and rebounds but you never know what they’re going to be.
One thing you can count on is some random fouls and the appearance of Mo Bamba on the court. This game will be a tough one for the Sixers and when Hield and Payne are able to suit up and the injured Sixers return, they should be able to put something better together but for now, they’re in trouble.
Hawks 126 – Sixers 108
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
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