Atlanta Hawks Outduel Philadelphia 76ers In 142-134 Double Overtime Win

The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks were set for an Eastern Conference matchup on Sunday night, in what could be a potential playoff preview. The 76ers had their big three on the floor together for the first time this season, but fell just short against the Hawks in double overtime. 

Jalen Johnson Cooked The 76ers

Jalen Johnson was unbelievable tonight, putting together a double-double against the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the way for their huge win. Johnson had 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists in 45 minutes. He’s been amazing thus far, and his recent performances are definitely flying under the radar. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker followed Johnson with 34 points, giving the 76ers trouble all night. The Atlanta Hawks are now on a two-game winning streak, improving to 13-8 on the season, without superstar Point Guard Trae Young. He’s expected to be out for a couple more weeks, so the Hawks will have to keep pushing upon his highly anticipated return.

Atlanta will enter the second game of a back-to-back, heading to Detroit to take on the red-hot Pistons. This will be a tough matchup for the Hawks and a real test of what they’re truly made of, especially without Trae Young.

76ers Fall Just Short

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking for their first win with the big three all season, but fell short in an absolute thriller. Tyrese Maxey once again led the way for Philadelphia, dropping 44 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. He struggled mightily from the three-point line, shooting just 2-of-13. This is the first time we’ve seen Maxey struggle this much from the arc, but he’s not going to shoot at a perfect percentage every night.

As for Paul George and Joel Embiid, they put together a solid performance. The star-studded duo combined for 34 points, but both struggled from the field. George joined Maxey in the poor three-point shooting, going just 2-of-8. The only player who was solid all around was Quentin Grimes, who dropped 28 points. 

The hope for the Sixers is that they can start building some rhythm with George, Maxey, and Embiid, something they couldn’t do last season. Along with the big three, Philadelphia was finally able to get rookie VJ Edgecombe back after missing just over a week due to a calf injury. Philadelphia will be back in action on Tuesday night to take on the Washington Wizards.