CAMDEN, NJ – The Philadelphia 76ers are fresh off of a huge win over the Phoenix Suns. They now have a record of 5-6 after handling a (hobbled) Suns squad without James Harden. Doc Rivers finding ways to win without Harden will be extremely important as the Sixers' floor general misses a month due to a foot injury.

At the Sixers' final practice at home before hitting the road and facing the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Rivers was asked if the win against the Suns can be seen as a turning point. In his eyes, the game marked a shift that is already in the works.

“No, I just think the turning point is coming anyway. You can feel it,” Rivers said. “You would like luck and health but we're not going to have that for a while. James is gonna be out for a month. It is what it is. But [with] the guys, you can just feel it. You can feel us starting to get to know each other, starting to get our rhythm…Just with guys in and out. Training camp, guys only being able to go half the camp. Now guys are playing and so you can just feel a rhythm coming and that's a good thing.”

Gaining familiarity was a big talking point with Rivers early in the season. With Harden, the Sixers' rhythm came mostly when he found ways to bend the defenses and someone (usually Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey or Tobias Harris) took advantage of it. Losing him to injury means that they are going to have to keep the ball moving more in order to keep the offense humming.

Defensively, they are looking to improve their communication and navigate their switches better. So far, the Sixers' defense is a middle-of-the-pack unit but it is showing improvement. Getting Embiid back in his best shape is the most important factor, as is Doc Rivers optimizing the talent he has.

The Sixers will face a Hawks team that just defeated the Milwaukee Bucks without Trae Young. That star point guard is dealing with shin soreness but Philly will still have at least one star point guard to deal with in Dejounte Murray. It will be a tough matchup for the Sixers as they look to keep their rhythm flowing.