Wednesday night's matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks came down to the wire in the final minutes of the game. The 76ers held a 62-40 lead heading into halftime and maintained a big lead through the third quarter. However, the Hawks pushed through and dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 40-19 and stunning the Sixers faithful with a 109-106 win to take a 3-2 series lead.
It was the ultimate collapse from the Sixers, leaving Philly fans in a state of despair. Ben Simmons choked, Tobias Harris was nowhere to be seen, and Trae Young did whatever he wanted on the court. Philadelphia failed to close out the game and now face elimination in Game 6.
The next matchup should be a close one as the teams head back to Atlanta on Friday night. Will the Hawks' 3-point shooting heat back up? Will Ben Simmons bounce back after a rough night? There are so many questions surrounding this fascinating series with the top-seeded Sixers on the brink.
Here are three bold predictions for Game 6 between the Sixers and Hawks.
1. Hawks improve their 3-point shooting
The Hawks didn't quite look like their usual selves in Game 5. They only shot 9-of-26 (34.6%) from deep, which allowed the Sixers to run away in the early portion of the game. With a team full of shooters, they were much better than that throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.
Look for Trae Young to get things going early, as he's becoming a superstar before our very eyes. However, he'll need his teammates to step up as well. You can expect to see Bogdan Bogdanović and Kevin Huerter to have much improved performances, as they underperformed in Game 5. The 3-point shot could be falling for the Hawks, which could spell danger for Philadelphia.
2. Ben Simmons bounces back
Simmons has been rather quiet as of late, and his lack of production was noticeable on Wednesday night. He finished the evening with just eight points, nine assists, and four rebounds, which just wasn't enough for the Sixers to keep the lead. He also has trouble with free throws, which Atlanta took full advantage of in Game 5.
He went 4-of-14 from the line in Game 5 and is just 22-of-67 throughout the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and teams have been going to the Hack-a-Ben strategy often. Even so, look for him to elevate his game a bit to give Joel Embiid and Philly a much-needed boost.
3. The Hawks close out the series
This series has gone back and forth, but the Sixers collapsing in two straight game has to have shaken their confidence. After coming back from yet another huge deficit, the Hawks should feel ultra-confident for Friday night's matchup. If they get back to their usual ways shooting from 3-point range and Trae Young's supporting casts comes to play, they have the potential to end the Sixers' playoff run early.
Don't expect Philadelphia to just lie down, though, as Joel Embiid will do everything he can to force a Game 7. Hopefully for them, either Tobias Harris or Ben Simmons (preferably both) come back to life and help their superstar center. Also, if Seth Curry has another night like he did on Wednesday, the Sixers will be a tough out. Even so, Atlanta has the confidence and the home-court advantage to rise above Philly.
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