February 9, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry (31) shoots the basketball against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It’s gameday! The Philadelphia 76ers are taking on the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 7:30 pm EST in A-Town. Today’s game will be broadcasted on ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia, and local station 97.5 “The Fanatic”. Moreover, Atlanta will sport their city jerseys and Philadelphia plans to wear their icon jerseys. Earlier this season, these teams faced each other at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers dominated the Atlanta Hawks 122-94. The Sixers are looking to have a similar result tonight and take a 2-0 lead in this season series. 

Hawks Outlook

The Atlanta Hawks are 12-10 on the season and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. Notably, Atlanta has been in a groove as of recently, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. Most recently, they won a close game against the Indiana Pacers 114-111. Star guard Trae Young led Atlanta with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. In addition, Young leads the way for this Hawks squad averaging 26.3 points per game, 9.1 assists per game, shooting 46.6% from the field, and netting 38.8% of his threes (career-high).

Statistically, the Atlanta Hawks are an elite and efficient offensive team. Atlanta is second in the NBA in offensive-rating, scoring 112.4 points per 100 possessions. Additionally, they rank 7th in the league in true-shooting percentage at 56.5%. Further, the Hawks shoot 37.4% from beyond the arc, which is 2nd best in the game.  Evidently, much of Atlanta’s offensive success is conducted by Trae Young. Atlanta scores a jaw-dropping 13.8 less points when Young is on the sideline. Ice Trae’s playmaking and scoring make him a dangerous opponent and so crucial for the Hawks. 

Atlanta is heading into tonight’s contest a bit short-handed. Wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is sidelined due to a right ankle sprain. Furthermore, he missed Wednesday’s game against the Pacers with this issue. In addition, Cam Reddish is questionable for tonight with a left wrist sprain. He also missed the win over the Indiana Pacers. Atlanta’s wing depth will certainly take a hit if both players are inactive tonight. 

Hawks 5:30 am EST Injury Report:

  • Bogdan Bogdanovic (Out – Right Ankle Sprain)
  • De’Andre Hunter (Out – Right Wrist Tendon Surgery)
  • Onyeka Okongwu (Out – Right Shoulder Injury Recovery)
  • Cam Reddish (Questionable – Left Wrist Sprain)

76ers Outlook

The Philadelphia 76ers are 11-11 on the year and sit at 11th place in the Eastern Conference. On Wednesday night, Philadelphia lost a heartbreaker to the Boston Celtics 88-87. Further, Seth Curry contributed 17 points, 6 assists, and shot 2-3 from three-point land. In the last two games, Curry averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 65.4% from the field. Tonight, the 76ers are on the second leg of their four-game road trip. 

Joel Embiid’s fatigue has been a big issue since returning from his nine-game COVID-19 absence. Against the Boston Celtics, Embiid had 13 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 assists, and shot 3-17 from the field. Philadelphia’s star chimed in on this during Wednesday’s post-game interview stating “I would never use [COVID-19] as an excuse, but obviously I think it’s going to take me a while to get hack, especially legs and cardio and all that stuff.” [Tim Bontemps, ESPN]. To summarize, Embiid is steal dealing with extreme fatigue and it’ll take some time for him to return to his dominant form. 

76ers 5:30 am EST Injury Report:

  • Grant Riller (Out – Right Shoulder Soreness)
  • Ben Simmons (Out – Personal Reasons)

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