SB Nation Atlanta - Sixers Vs. Hawks Final Score: Atlanta Collapses In Fourth, Drops 105-100 Decision To Phillyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46601/atlanta-fave.png2011-03-23T21:27:38-04:00http://atlanta.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18312972011-03-23T21:27:38-04:002011-03-23T21:27:38-04:00Sixers Vs. Hawks Final Score: Atlanta Collapses In Fourth, Drops 105-100 Decision To Philly
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> coach <span>Larry Drew</span> shortened his rotation to seven players on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. It worked for three quarters. The fourth was an entirely different story.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> rattled off 14 unanswered points bridging the third and fourth quarters en route to posting a 105-100 win over the struggling Hawks.</p>
<p>With the loss, the Hawks failed to clinch a playoff spot. More ominously, Philadelphia moved to within 2 1/2 games of the Hawks in the race for the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference.</p>
<p>The Sixers got the job done with a balanced attack, getting 10 or more points from seven players. <span>Louis Williams</span> had 17. <span>Thaddeus Young</span> and Andre Iguoldada 16 each. <span>Jodie Meeks</span> 15. <span>Elton Brand</span> 12. You get the point already.</p>
<p>Atlanta on the other hand lived and died by the success of <span>Josh Smith</span>, who posted a game-high 33. But his shots stopped falling in the fourth quarter as did the rest of the Hawks. Atlanta settled for jumpers, didn't go inside much and suffered yet another defeat.</p>
<p>The Hawks held an 80-71 lead late in the third quarter and looked poised to actually defeat the Sixers. But Williams nailed a 3-pointer prior to the expiration of the frame and followed with three free throws to open the fourth to quickly cut the Atlanta edge down to four.</p>
<p>A miss and a turnover later, the Hawks relinquished the lead on a jumper by <span>Andres Nocioni</span> with 10:49 left in the fourth. The Sixers never looked back. leading by as many as 10 before Atlanta made a late surge.</p>
<p><span>Kirk Hinrich</span> and <span>Marvin Williams</span> had 16 points each and <span>Joe Johnson</span> added 10 for Atlanta in a game that just has you kind of scratching your head.</p>
<p><span>Jeff Teague</span> was very effective last night in the fourth quarter. <span>Damien Wilkins</span> has provided a defensive spark off of the bench. And Drew used to rely on <span>Josh Powell</span> for significant minutes at center. But none of the three was even called upon to take the floor in this one as Atlanta's coach shortened the bench to a seven-man rotation.</p>
<p>Granted, Atlanta rested most of its starters in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a>. But the Hawks were still playing the back-end of a back-to-back, had a late flight to Philadelphia and are experiencing some of those bumps and bruises that happen over a long NBA season.</p>
<p>Thus, it was puzzling at best why Drew would limit his bench so much in this one.</p>
<p><span>Jamal Crawford</span> had 10 points and <span>Al Horford</span> posted eight points and nine rebounds for Atlanta, which lost for the eighth time over its last 11 games.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/3/23/2068641/sixers-vs-hawks-final-score-atlanta-collapses-in-fourth-drops-105-100Phil Foley2011-03-23T20:45:08-04:002011-03-23T20:45:08-04:00Sixers Vs. Hawks Score: Josh Smith Scores 26, Leads Atlanta To 80-74 Edge Through Three
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<p><span>Josh Smith</span> is hitting his shots from inside and out and sparking the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> closer to a playoff birth.</p>
<p>Smith has 26 and <span>Marvin Williams</span> and <span>Kirk Hinrich</span> posted 16 each to lead the Hawks to an 80-74 edge over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> through three quarters at the Wells Fargo Center.</p>
<p><span>Jodie Meeks</span>, <span>Jrue Holiday</span> and <span>Thaddeus Young</span> have 12 each for the Sixers, who have five players in double figures.</p>
<p>The Hawks are getting it done thanks to a great shooting night from Smith, who is 10-for-14 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. The Atlanta catalyst also has seven boards on a night where boards are basically even between the two athletic clubs.</p>
<p>The difference?</p>
<p>Atlanta is able to shoot at will . They are connecting at a 59-percent (31-for-59) clip from the field, while the Hawks started playing defense in the second quarter. The Sixers. who shot 62-percent from the field in the first 12 minutes, are down to just 48-percent (32-for-67) after three quarters.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/3/23/2068595/sixers-vs-hawks-score-josh-smith-scores-26-leads-atlanta-to-80-74Phil Foley2011-03-23T20:06:40-04:002011-03-23T20:06:40-04:00Sixers Vs. Hawks Score: Josh Smith Posts 17, Atlanta Leads 59-53 At Half
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> played a little bit of defense in the second quarter and opened up a little separation over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a>.</p>
<p><span>Josh Smith</span> has 17 and <span>Kirk Hinrich</span> 13 to help the Hawks to a 59-53 lead over the Sixers at the break.</p>
<p><span>Marvin Williams</span> has 10 for Atlanta, which also has gotten seven points from <span>Jamal Crawford</span> off of the bench.</p>
<p>The Hawks are shooting 58-percent (22-for-38) in the first half and are 4-for-8 from behind the arc. Hinrich is a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point land.</p>
<p>Atlanta closed the deficit on the glass to 17-16 in favor of Philadelphia, which helped the club claw back into it. Atlanta has also been the team that is drawing the contact inside. They have gone to the line 11 times in this one. Philadelphia, on the other hand, looks a bit like that Atlanta team that is shy of contact. They have just one free throw in the first 24 minutes.</p>
<p><span>Thaddeus Young</span> has a team-high 10 for the Sixers, who are shooting 55-percent (22-for-44) from the field. </p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/3/23/2068535/sixers-vs-hawks-score-josh-smith-posts-17-atlanta-leads-59-53-at-halfPhil Foley2011-03-23T19:36:08-04:002011-03-23T19:36:08-04:00Sixers Vs. Hawks Score: Philly Leads Atlanta 30-28 Through One
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<p>So much for a commitment to defense. There's been very little of it in the first quarter of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a>' matchup against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a>.</p>
<p><span>Jrue Holiday</span> has nine points and <span>Elton Brand</span> seven to lead the Sixers to a 30-28 edge over the Hawks through 12 minutes at the Wells Fargo Center.</p>
<p><span>Kirk Hinrich</span> has 10 and <span>Josh Smith</span> 6 for Atlanta, which shot 60-percent (12-for-20) in the first quarter. Of course, the Sixers were a tad bit better, connecting on 13-for-21 (62-percent) from the field.</p>
<p>Plain and simple, the Hawks are losing this game because they are losing the battle of the boards. Philadelphia had 10 rebounds in the first to Atlanta's five. The Hawks do have four steals to the 76ers one, but it's not enough to give them the lead.</p>
<p>The good news is that the Hawks are controlling the paint thus far and have not been afraid to go inside against the "athletic" Sixers. That usually is a good sign. However, they must remain committed on the other side of the ball as well if they want to get the win and clinch a playoff spot.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/3/23/2068491/sixers-vs-hawks-score-philly-leads-atlanta-30-28-through-onePhil Foley2011-03-23T10:13:02-04:002011-03-23T10:13:02-04:00Sixers Vs. Hawks: "Embarrassed" Atlanta Tries To Find Some Brotherly Love In Philly
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<p>Less than 24 hours after the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> were utterly humiliated on their home floor, they're at it again. This time, they'll be in Philadelphia, trying to stave off a slide that could have Atlanta slip into the No. 6 spot in the East.</p>
<p><span>Joe Johnson</span>, <span>Al Horford</span> and the Hawks head to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia 76ers</a> on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center (7:00 p.m., SportSouth, 97.9 FM).</p>
<p>The Hawks are coming off of an embarrassing 114-81 home loss to the Eastern Conference-best <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bulls</a>. It was another night where just about everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong at the "Highlight Factory."</p>
<p>Atlanta didn't defend. Atlanta put up ill-advised shots. Atlanta didn't control the boards. The end result was another terrible loss on their home floor, where they have lost 15 games this season and have the three worst defeats on any team's home floor in the NBA. That's right -- I said <b>any </b>team. Even the lowly <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Sacramento Kings</a>, even the terrible <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Raptors</a>, even the woeful <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Wizards</a> and the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> haven't lost at home the way they do it in the ATL.</p>
<p><font color="#111111" face="arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"It's starting to get embarrassing," <span>Josh Smith</span> told reporters after the latest debacle. "We're too good a team to be getting blown out of our own gym."</span></font></p>
<p>Starting to get embarrassing, Smoove? It was at that level weeks ago.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Atlanta must regroup quickly against a sixth-place Sixers team that has won 19 of its last 28 games. Philadelphia, which has ascended from ninth to sixth with their recent hot streak, has inched to within 3 1/2 games of the low-flying Hawks.</p>
<p>Atlanta must make the personal sacrifices necessary to defeat a rested 76ers team that is coming off of a rare 110-101 loss to the <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Portland Trail Blazers</a> on Saturday. The Sixers, who finished their road trip at 2-3, played that one without <span>Andre Iguodala</span>. He missed the game with a right knee injury and could miss this one as well.</p>
<p>The Hawks may be forced to play this one without Horford, who was lifted in the third quarter against the Bulls with a hamstring strain, although coach <span>Larry Drew</span> fully expects his All-Star center to answer the bell in Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>The last time these two teams played, the Sixers destroyed the Hawks, 117-83, on Atlanta's home floor on Feb. 8. The Hawks can ill afford a repeat of that debacle if they want to extend their lead over Philadelphia in the East, even though they clinch a playoff spot with a win.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2011/3/23/2332051/sixers-vs-hawks-embarrassed-atlanta-tries-to-find-some-brotherly-lovePhil Foley