Atlanta Hawks erase 26-point deficit to defeat Philadelphia 76ers, take 3-2 series lead

The Atlanta Hawks had been right here earlier than. The truth is, they didn’t even have to return that far to recollect the identical scenario, both.

In Recreation 5 of their sequence in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday evening, Atlanta was observing a 26-point deficit as they tried to take benefit within the Japanese Convention semifinals matchup.

On Monday, Atlanta trailed by as many as 18 earlier than storming again to win. So why couldn’t they do it once more?

“There’s no stop,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan stated after his crew’s 109-106 win. “We at all times discuss enjoying a 48-minute recreation. It’s an extended recreation. And it took all 48 minutes tonight to get it performed.”

And as they did in Recreation 4, the Hawks stormed again for an unbelievable comeback and took a 3-2 lead with Recreation 6 scheduled for Friday at residence.

Simply how unbelievable was the victory? In keeping with ESPN Stats and Info analysis:

• Philadelphia turned the one crew to lose back-to-back 18-point leads in playoff video games within the final 25 seasons

• The 22-point halftime deficit the Hawks overcame was the third largest halftime comeback in NBA postseason historical past

• The 76ers had been 165-0 within the final 25 seasons when main by a minimum of 25 factors at any level within the recreation (common season or playoffs)

• At one level, Philadelphia had a win likelihood proportion of 99.7 (the very best it bought in Recreation 4 was 95.5%)

Atlanta trailed by 24 with 2:10 left within the third quarter however a fast 8-2 run set the tone for the large fourth quarter that adopted. Within the remaining quarter, Atlanta outscored Philadelphia, 40-19.

Hawks guard Trae Younger, who completed with 39 factors and went 17-of-19 from the free-throw line, stated it’s “not very tough” to image the comeback when down 26 due to the weapons a crew like Atlanta possesses.

“We now have guys who could make photographs and make threes and actually get our offense going. We are able to put up factors actually fast,” Younger stated. “I feel early on we had been lacking loads of open photographs and it was a kind of first halves once more. Hopefully we shoot so much higher at residence [on Friday] than we did tonight and the final recreation. We at all times have a perception that we’re within the recreation.”

Certainly, the Hawks had been lacking photographs within the first half. Atlanta shot solely 31% from the sector within the first two quarters and went 3-of-12 from 3-point vary. They shot a good 47.6% from the sector within the third quarter, and made half of their threes, earlier than going 16-of-22 from the sector within the scorching fourth quarter.

For the Hawks duo of Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams, it was one thing they’d seen earlier than. Two seasons in the past, these two had been enjoying for the Doc Rivers-coached LA Clippers crew that overcame a 31-point deficit in opposition to the Golden State Warriors within the playoffs — the biggest comeback in NBA postseason historical past.

“I’ve performed it already once we had been down 31. And 26 is best than 31,” Gallinari stated. “I feel you are able to do it so long as you consider, so long as everybody believes. That’s been the principle factor for the reason that starting of the season. Whenever you maintain believing and doing all your job, wonderful issues can occur.”

Each performed massive roles within the Hawks’ comeback. Gallinari hit a troublesome fadeaway jumper to place Atlanta up 107-104 within the remaining minute whereas Williams carried them there.

Williams, the 16-year NBA veteran who’s from the Atlanta space and bought his begin enjoying for Philadelphia in 2005, had 13 of his 15 factors within the fourth quarter.

“Simply no stop in these guys,” McMillan stated. “They continued to stick with what we had been attempting to do. We finally discovered a scorching hand in Lou and located a rotation that was working for us. We had been beginning to get stops and simply continued to stick with it.”

As jubilant because the Hawks had been after the victory, the Sixers had been distraught and searching for solutions. Sixers coach Doc Rivers stated he felt just like the momentum began to vary within the early a part of the second half.

“Although we stored the lead, I feel we had six turnovers in our first 10 possessions to begin the third quarter. That’s why I referred to as the early timeout,” Rivers stated. “You possibly can see we form of exhaled, relaxed. The primary unit was simply adequate and Seth [Curry] carried us in that stretch to maintain the lead at 22. The place it may have very simply been at 30 if we don’t flip the ball over.

“After which clearly you bought to take guys out and the second group actually struggled tonight within the second half. They had been phenomenal within the first half after which within the second half, they struggled. After which down the stretch. Pay attention, we scored 19 factors and gave up 40. So it’s on us. It’s on all of us. It’s on me. It’s on the gamers. And we’ve got to determine tips on how to get again up, which we’ll, and convey this recreation again right here for Recreation 7.”

Within the final two postseasons, Rivers-coached groups are 11-5 when having a minimum of a 16-point lead in a playoff recreation. Each different crew within the NBA is 76-3 in that span.

As part of their technique to get again within the recreation, Atlanta went to the Hack-a-Ben approach in opposition to Sixers level guard Ben Simmons. Within the second and fourth quarters, Simmons was deliberately despatched to the road eight occasions — he went 3-of-8.

It’s not the primary time the Hawks have picked on Simmons and exploited his free-throw taking pictures this sequence both. Simmons shot 61.3% on the season however he was taking pictures 67.1% previous to the All-Star break and simply 53.3% after.

Following his 4-of-14 efficiency from the road on Wednesday, Simmons is now taking pictures 32.8% within the playoffs from the stripe.

When requested about the place the nostril dive within the later a part of the season got here from, Simmons stated, “No thought. However I have to get it again. It’s on me.”

Joel Embiid (37 factors) and Seth Curry (36 factors) carried the load offensively for Philadelphia however no different participant scored greater than eight factors. Embiid and Curry had been the one two gamers to hit a area objective for the Sixers within the second half and solely Simmons added one within the remaining 31:34.

“We wanted to return extra collectively, I feel,” stated the 76ers’ Furkan Korkmaz. “That is the playoffs. They’re making the most of each minute and I feel that’s the entire level of the sport. You bought to maintain all of the positions. Each place issues. Each level issues.”

Tobias Harris, who carried a lot of the scoring burden within the first 4 video games of the sequence together with Embiid, stated this loss “goes to harm.”

“However tomorrow we’ve got to place it behind us, discover a option to get higher,” Harris stated. “Go to Atlanta and get a win. I imply, our backs are in opposition to the wall proper now and we’ve got to play prefer it.”

Once they make it to Atlanta, they’ll be met with a Hawks’ crowd attempting to cheer their followers on to what would solely be the franchise’s second convention finals look since 1970.

Because the Hawks look towards Recreation 6, Younger was requested if he stopped to consider what the historic comeback meant.

“Not but. I can’t but,” Younger stated. “We now have to complete the job. Perhaps after we hopefully shut it out subsequent recreation. Then we are able to look again at it.”