The Philadelphia 76ers fell apart in the final quarter of Game 5 on Wednesday night. They held a 26 point lead at halftime, just for Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks to make a spectacular comeback. Joel Embiid and Seth Curry were not to blame, as the two of them combined for 73 points. However, Ben Simmons choked at the free-throw line, and Tobias Harris was nowhere to be found.

They entered the postseason as the first seed in the Eastern Conference but now face elimination against the fifth seed Hawks. Losing this series and going home could be catastrophic for Philly, as there is speculation to blow up the roster from the fan base. Even so, Philadelphia is still in this, as a victory on Friday night puts them back in the race.

There are a few things the Sixers must do if they hope to remain in the playoffs. The Hawks know the foul line is Philadelphia's weakness, so the Sixers must be more consistent in that area. Additionally, Trae Young is doing everything he wants this postseason. He's hurt the Sixers in more ways than one, so getting in his face will only help. Lastly, this team has to continue giving the ball to Joel Embiid. He should be their first, second, and third option on nearly every possession. With that said, here are three things the Sixers must do to avoid a Game 6 loss to the Hawks.

Improve the free-throw shooting

“Hack-a-Shaq” has turned into “Hack-a-Simmons” and the Hawks have taken full advantage of it. Ben Simmons has been shooting an awful 34% from the free-throw line in the 2021 Playoffs, which means Atlanta will continue to exploit that weakness. Simmons is unlikely to improve in that area suddenly, so it's up to the rest of the team to make up for his lack of production.

The Sixers took 38 total free-throw attempts as a team and only made 23 of them. 14 of those attempts came from Ben Simmons (and he only made four). Removing Simmons's free throws from the equation, the Sixers went 19/24 (79.1%), near the top in terms of the league average. It's a tough situation Philadephia is in, as they know the Hawks will foul Ben Simmons, but if the rest of the Sixers roster can get aggressive and force themselves to the line, they could improve that area moving forward.

Slow down Trae Young

Trae Young dropped 39 points in Game 5, scoring at will and leading both teams in points scored. He's growing into a superstar during this postseason run and has caused the Sixers fits. If Philadelphia wants to stay alive, they have to find a way to slow him down, which is much easier said than done.

This is where Ben Simmons can be a true asset. He's a phenomenal defender and is a huge size advantage. Simmons should be following Trae Young everywhere on the court and not giving him any room to breathe. If he can do that, then Simmons may redeem himself for his poor free-throw shooting.

Feed Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid gives the Sixers their best chance to win. He's one of the best players in the league and is the heart and soul of this franchise. Getting him going early will be a priority, as Clint Capela hasn't been able to slow down Philly's star center. We may see a monster performance out of Embiid on Friday night, as he'll do everything he can to force a Game 7.