The Atlanta Hawks looked like a lost basketball team for more than three quarters on Friday. But they clamped down and did what good teams do -- dominated the final moments of the game. Marvin Williams had 22 points and Al Horford and Jamal Crawford had 15 each, leading the Hawks to a 93-88 win over the 76ers at Philips Arena.
Elton Brand had 16 points and 14 boards for the Sixers, who blew a 13-point fourth quarter lead.
The Sixers were seemingly in control, clamping down on an Atlanta team that will be without Joe Johnson for a few weeks, taking an 85-72 lead when Brand nailed the first of two free throws with 8:45 left in this one. But Brand missed the back end from the charity stripe, Zaza Pachulia grabbed the rebound and it was off to the races for the Hawks, who gave Philadelphia its eighth straight road defeat.
Atlanta pecked away as the Sixers fell silent from the field, embarking on a 21-3 run to end the game. The Sixers had just one field goal in the final nine-plus minutes of the basketball game -- a jumper by Andre Iguodala with 5:26 left. The Hawks, on the other hand, could not miss.
Williams was hitting jumpers. Horford was posting up down low and Crawford and Pachulia were connecting on their free throws. Atlanta finally forged ahead on a three-point play by Horford with 31.1 seconds left for its first lead of the game at 89-88 before Crawford and Horford sealed it with four more from the free throw line. The Hawks will go to South Beach with a five-game winning streak intact.
Bring on the King!