Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks came out firing in Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers and they never looked back. The Sixers tried to mount what would have been an impressive comeback, but in the end, they came up short as the Hawks escaped with a shock win in Philly.

Ben Simmons appreciates the gravity of the situation and he has sent out a stern warning for the Hawks as the two teams prepare to battle on Tuesday for Game 2:

“At one point, we were down 26, and we still were in the game,” Simmons said, via Justin Grasson of FanNation. “That tells you a lot about this team and what we’re capable of doing. We never want to do that again, obviously, but we got to start the right way.”

The Sixers came out like a different team in the second half, and they almost pulled off an amazing comeback. While they ultimately failed to do so, the mere fact that they were able to make a ballgame out of what was supposed to be a total blowout speaks volumes of how there's just no quit in this Sixers side.

Simmons also provided some insight as to why he believes the Hawks came out on top in Game 1:

“I think we just waited too long,” said Simmons.  “They hit us first, and we didn’t hit them back.”

Finally, the Sixers star shared the type of mindset his team will have when they face the Hawks in Game 2:

“I think the confidence has always been there,” Simmons explained. “I think we just got to lock in and be ready for whoever comes in the building because it’s not going to be easy. It’s the playoffs, and this is a good team we’re facing right now. They play the right way, they share the ball, and they play together. We got to come together and play the right way.”

Atlanta just stole home-court advantage in this series after winning Game 1 in Philadelphia. The Sixers are in a bit of a must-win situation in Game 2, and Ben Simmons will surely do everything in his power to ensure that this is the case.