Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction and Match Preview - June 16th, 2021 | Game 5, 2021 NBA Playoffs
The Atlanta Hawks will be high on confidence after their comeback win against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series.
The 103-100 win helped the Hawks level the series 2-2. They now aim to carry that form into Game 5, which is scheduled to be played at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday.
Trae Young put together another impressive performance for the Atlanta Hawks, tallying 25 points and 18 assists on the night. Meanwhile, Tobias Harris was the only player who reached the 20-point figure for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Match Details
Fixture - Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers | Game 5, 2020-21 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time - Wednesday, June 16th; 7:30 PM ET (Thursday; 5:00 AM IST).
Venue - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks have made it clear that they aren't going down without a fight. Despite the Philadelphia 76ers being the heavy favorites to advance, the Hawks have shown tremendous grit so far and have a fighting chance of clinching the series.
The Atlanta Hawks were trailing by 18 points towards the end of the first half in Game 4, but made a terrific comeback in the third quarter. They committed just one turnover while restricting the Sixers to 8-of-21 shooting from the floor in that stretch and outscored their opponents 31-20.
That set the tone for the Atlanta Hawks to finish the game strong in the last quarter as they used the momentum to make important defensive stops and attack the Sixers' defense relentlessly.
The Hawks will have to try and use the second-half energy they had on the road in Game 5 from the get-go to get a shot at winning the tie and going 3-2 up in the series.
Key Player - Trae Young
Trae Young continues to mesmerize with his lethal vision and ability to run the Atlanta Hawks offense with tremendous fluency. Young's ability to create opportunities for his teammates and himself to score was key to disrupting the Philadelphia 76ers' defensive setup in Game 4.
He will have to replicate that kind of performance to give his side the chance to snatch home-court advantage off the Sixers for the second time this series and take a dominating 3-2 lead in the series.
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Trae Young l Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic l Small Forward - Kevin Huerter l Power Forward - John Collins l Center - Clint Capela.
Philadelphia 76er Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers need to improve down the stretch and learn to adapt to in-game situations to avoid a debacle like the one that cost them Game 4.
The Sixers started brilliantly in the first half of Game 4, attempting and making shots with ease, putting the Atlanta Hawks under pressure. They converted 52.1% of their field-goal attempts, including 7-of-11 shots from beyond the arc. However, the Philadelphia 76ers did not have the answers to the Hawks' resurgence as they made multiple errors at both ends of the floor.
They were unable to protect the paint and were struggling with their perimeter defense as well, which proved to be a huge reason behind their loss. They also committed seven turnovers, which the Hawks fully capitalized on.
The Philadelphia 76ers need to be more alert in these situations as it can prove to be costly in the next match where the stakes will be high.
Key Player - Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid struggled all night during Game 4. The Philadelphia 76ers' main man had 17 points on 4-of-20 shooting. He missed all of his 12 attempts in the second half, including an easy go-ahead layup that could have seen the Sixers take a one-point lead with ten seconds to go.
Embiid will be eager to make a strong comeback and lead his team to a win in Game 5. If the star center does manage to have a huge game, the Atlanta Hawks will find it hard to come away from Philadelphia with a win.
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ben Simmons l Shooting Guard - Seth Curry l Small Forward - Furkman Korkmaz l Power Forward - Tobias Harris l Center - Joel Embiid
Hawks vs 76ers Match Prediction
Both teams have shown how effective they can be on their day in the two games they have each won so far. It is difficult to pick a winner for Game 5, especially because of the importance it has concerning the eventual outcome of the series.
However, homecourt advantage has proved to be the key on several occasions, which does make the Philadelphia 76ers slight favorites to take the 3-2 series lead. But they will have to make sure they don't take the Atlanta Hawks for granted, especially after the kind of performance Trae Young and co. put together in the last game.
Where to watch the Hawks vs 76ers Game 5
Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-final series between the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers will be televised nationally on TNT. Fans can also stream the game online via NBA League Pass with a subscription.
Also read: Top 3 snubs from the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive teams