76ers fall to Hawks with strong second half by Trae Young, Caris LaVert

Fresh off a 122-103 thumping of the listless Washington Wizards, the 76ers welcomed Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks to the Wells Fargo Center for a matchup of teams fighting for vastly different goals. The Sixers are playing for pride, while the Hawks had to win tonight to have a chance at the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. This was a very important game for the Hawks, as their star guard and linchpin, Young, was listed as probable early in the day. This was welcome news for Atlanta with Larry Nance and Clint Capela.

Friday’s 124-110 loss to the Hawks sealed their fate, as the team with the fifth-worst record in the NBA, and helped the lottery odds. All while Atlanta moved into 8th in the Eastern Conference.

The theme of this year has been injured starpower for the Sixers, and with the big three sidelined for extended periods this year, the attitude going into the tip-off was who would step up in the remaining 2 games. The availability of the team’s last remaining scoring threat, Quentin Grimes, along with Alex Reese and Justin Edwards, was questionable going into the game, but all were in street clothes for the game.

At the outset of the game, the Hawks look tentative and a bit sort of, partially because of the defensive play of Marcus Bagley. Bagley also contributed on the offensive side of the ball, despite his being on a 1-21 coming into the game. However, Jared Butler led the way for the Sixers with 8 points, including a pair of threes and a pretty reverse layup. After the first quarter, the 76ers were only down by 3, and the body language of the 76ers was positive and that showed in the energy level they showed closing out the first.

When the second quarter started, the Sixers looked determined, and the energy they played with paid dividends in the second quarter. Marcus Bagley had an incredible half, scoring 14 points and knocking down four threes. Adem Bona also had 14 points, Jared Butler chipped in 13 points, and Lonnie Walker IV had 12 points. Trae Young chipped in 13 at the half. This offensive explosion from the Sixers led to a 40-point second quarter and led going into the half, 66-60.

The third quarter was where the Hawks took over. The shooting from outside cooled off, which was what carried them in the second quarter, and Trae Young went into another gear, and the Sixers were 31-19.

In the fourth quarter, fatigue sets in for the remaining healthy players for the Sixers. Atlanta’s bench feasted on opportunities against obviously gassed Sixers players, and they ended the game tired and defeated. It showed on the team’s faces, and while it was expected, not what fans wanted to see for a possible growing opportunity for the youth. Caris LeVert was the real star of the game, going 12-15 from the floor, including 4-5 on three attempts.

With this loss and a Nets win, the Sixers clinch the NBA’s fifth-worst record with a much-needed, 124-110, loss to the Atlanta Hawks Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center on Fan Appreciation Night, which seemed fitting, unfortunately.

Here are a few observations:

A few guys showed up

• Marcus Bagley: Four threes before halftime. Clean looks, confident release.
• Adem Bona: Active around the rim. Keeps showing flashes. Bona is tied for most blocks per game since March 9th at 2.5 bpg
• Lonnie Walker IV: Reliable again. Keeps the offense from falling apart.
• Jared Butler: Set the tone early with a couple of threes and a transition layup.

In a game nobody had any expectations to win, the Sixers looked pretty solid for the first half, but in the end, Trae Young and Caris LeVert proved to be too much for the few healthy players the Sixers had left. This game felt like a perfect example of this season, so many injuries and hanging in there to start, but in the end, there just wasn’t enough juice.

Hawks’ bench buries the Sixers

The Sixers went into halftime up six. That didn’t last long. Trae Young opened the third with a deep jumper to put Atlanta up 74-70, and the Hawks never looked back. The Hawks’ bench kept the pace as they played with fresh legs, while the undermanned Sixers fielded just enough to have a legal roster.

Caris LeVert was the real problem. He came off the bench and lit it up, hitting his first eight shots and drilling a high-arcing three to beat the third-quarter buzzer. He finished with 24. Georges Niang chipped in 16 of his own, reminding everyone he can still fill it up when he’s not committing unnecessary fouls or pump-faking into oblivion.

The Sixers’ bench? Not so much. There just weren’t enough bodies to hang with Atlanta after halftime. But hey, statistically, fans have a great chance of keeping the pick this season.

One more game until this mess of a season can be boxed up and forgotten.

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