Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Match Preview - December 23rd, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Atlanta Hawks will travel to the City of Brotherly Love to go head-to-head against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on December 23rd.
The Atlanta Hawks saw their game on December 19th against the Cleveland Cavaliers postponed due to rising COVID-19 concerns. However, after coming off a 98-104 loss against the Orlando Magic at home, the Hawks may be cleared for their next game.
The Philadelphia 76ers will head into this game on the back of a 108-103 win against the Boston Celtics, which saw them improve to 16-15 on the season.
Match Details
Fixture - Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Thursday, December 23rd, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Friday, December 24th, 2021; 5:30 AM IST.)
Venue - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks seem like a shadow of the team they were last season. With a 14-16 record at this point in the season, the Hawks find themselves out of playoff seedings and on the brink of the play-in tournament.
With their second loss in a row, barring the postponed game against Cleveland, the Atlanta Hawks may see some more struggles as they play the Philadelphia 76ers in their next game.
Kevin Huerter is now also out in health and safety protocols.
That's six Hawks out in protocols now.
With some key players out of the rotation in this matchup, the Atlanta Hawks bench mob will also be depleted as more players join the injury list.
The absence of Trae Young and Clint Capela will be a huge loss for the side. Sidelined due to the league's health and safety protocol, their extended absence deeply affects the offensive movement and rebounding effort.
Key Player - Cam Reddish
Cam Reddish will be the key player for the Atlanta Hawks in this game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The loss against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday saw a big contribution to the Hawks' efforts by Cam Reddish. He recorded 34 points in the game and really established himself as a driving force in the Atlanta Hawks lineup.
30 for Cam Reddish...that's a new career high!
@ATLHawks 84
@OrlandoMagic 94
3:29 left on NBA TV: app.link.nba.com/e/NBATV https://t.co/kuxunt7vjE
With the lead blowing up in the second quarter of the game, Reddish's offensive effort managed to close the gap heading into the third. Although it would eventually be in vain, Reddish's efforts deserve a lot more attention for the future of the Atlanta Hawks.
As a sharpshooter with keen defensive instincts, Reddish is emerging as a key piece for the Hawks. Following his development, the 22-year-old has been averaging a career-best 37.7% from beyond the arc and 11.1 points per game.
Coming off minor injuries earlier in the season, Reddish being able to find his rhythm allows him to act as an offensive firestarter for the Atlanta Hawks. Pairing up nicely with John Collins in the game against Orlando, Reddish will play a key role as the Hawks head to Philadelphia.
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
G - Delon Wright | G - Bogdan Bogdanovic | F - Cam Reddish | F - John Collins | C - Gorgui Dieng
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
Coming off their hard-fought win against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves at .500 after having suffered a series of losses.
The three combined for 92 points and the 76ers beat the Celtics 108-103. 😳 🔥 https://t.co/NjZ1oLz1iA
Prior to the game against the Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers saw over six players of their roster out of the rotation due to health and safety protocols. Additionally, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Danny Green were all questionable due to injury.
Breaking a three-game losing streak in the process of beating the Celtics, the Sixers saw some important contributions from Seth Curry and Tobias Harris as well.
With the availability of key players, along with sufficient rest ahead of the game, the Philadelphia 76ers will head home to face the Atlanta Hawks with the majority of their main rotation in place.
Key Player - Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid will be the key player for the Philadelphia 76ers in this game against the Atlanta Hawks. Coming off a monster performance to lead the Sixers to a win, the availability of Embiid for the side is crucial to their success.
41 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST
unleashed the Embeast tonight. 😈
🎥 presented by @PALottery https://t.co/wXGI2P7Jc8
Embiid is one of the best big men in the game. Featuring a highly versatile arsenal of moves and a sweet stroke from deep, Embiid's overall game style gives him the freedom to dominate on multiple levels.
Heading into this game against the Atlanta Hawks, Embiid has every opportunity to feast in the low post. With Clint Capela out of the rotation, the Atlanta Hawks will look to Gorgui Dieng to contain Embiid.
Considering Embiid's skill, there are very few big men in the league who can effectively stop him from scoring. While also factoring in the outside pressure from Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Furkan Korkmaz, the Hawks will struggle to put multiple bodies on Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
G - Tyrese Maxey | G - Seth Curry | F - Mattise Thybulle | F - Tobias Harris | C - Joel Embiid
Hawks vs 76ers Match Predictions
Although both sides will have a significant number of players missing from the rotation due to injury or medical protocols, the Philadelphia 76ers overall roster strength should put them in a favorable position to win.
With the Atlanta Hawks missing Trae Young's playmaking and scoring, the Hawks will also struggle to make up for Capela's rebounding against a dominant player like Joel Embiid.
While also factoring in homecourt advantage along with the fact that Philadelphia is playing after a two-day break, the Atlanta Hawks will have to fight an uphill battle in order to win.
Where to watch Hawks vs 76ers game?
The Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers game will be locally broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game by tuning into 97.5 FM The Fanatic.