After the Sixers appeared to be nearing a strangle-hold on this series, disaster struck. Joel Embiid looked to be slowed by his knee injury, and Philadelphia blew its lead over the Hawks, both at a game level and at a series level.
Now, heading back to Philly, the Sixers must win. Can they re-capture the offensive form that got them to where they are now, which paired so well with the elite defensive showings that became commonplace in this series? Or, will it be the Hawks to find success once more at stopping the Philadelphia offensive attack? Here’s where you should be looking at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 – 07:30 PM EDT at Wells Fargo Center
The Sixers Must Find Their Offense Once More in This Series
As Joel Embiid goes, so does this Sixers offense. For two and a half games, anyway, everything appeared to be in line. Embiid, of course, is playing through a partially torn meniscus, but you’d hardly know it from the way he’s played in this series. He’s averaged 30.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the four games, which trump his numbers from the opening-round series against Washington by a good margin, though his 45% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from three leave a lot to be desired.
What also left a lot to be desired for our NBA picks was Embiid’s play in the second half of Game 4. He was 0-of-12 from the field — yes, you read that right — with four points on four free throws, 11 rebounds and two assists. The boards are nice, sure, but what Philly needs is Embiid’s scoring this was an above-average offense with Embiid on the floor this year, and a well-below average offense with him off.
Put it all together and the Sixers had a 102.0 offensive rating in Game 4 just after posting a 117.0, 121.6 and 130.9 in the first three games of this series. It’s a shame, considering their defense was once again stellar against a high-powered Hawks offense, but in the end that was a wasted performance.
Atlanta Needs to Pick It up on Offense
Nate McMillan had the Hawks back to basics in Game 4, shooting 40 threes — the highest number since Atlanta’s Game 1 win. Though they knocked down just 30% of them, it was a return to the run-and-gun style that got the Hawks to this point in the postseason. It’s no coincidence that the Hawks have won both games in this series when taking 40 or more threes, and it’s also remarkable to note that the 101 field goal attempts by the Hawks were their most of the postseason.
It’s not as if the pace was vastly different in this game — 98 vs. 97 in Game 3 — it’s just that the Hawks did such a good job of protecting the basketball. Atlanta turned the ball over just four times, the fewest turnovers for this team all postseason and the best mark since Game 1 against the Knicks, where it also took a lot of shots, going 42-for-90.
Simply put, the Hawks need to go for the high-risk, high-reward shots that have carried them all season long. They have the fantastic shooting to pose problems for Philadelphia. It’s been an exceptional performance from the Sixers on defense according to our NBA odds, but putting up threes should be the best way to penetrate this impenetrable unit.
The Pick
The Sixers have done their best work at home, going 25-15-1 against the spread this season and 21-15 as the home favorites. The Hawks, meanwhile, have gone 26-14 against the spread at home, and have covered in just 47.5% of road games, one of the worst spots to catch Atlanta this season.
The Sixers have been indomitable at home this year, and I expect that to continue here. Game 4 was a blip on the radar when it comes to the offense; the defense has been so great for the Sixers all season long, and in the postseason, and the Hawks’ defense has struggled all season long. It’d be smart to fade a Hawks defense coming off its best performance of the postseason.
NBA Pick: Sixers –6.5 (-115) at BookMaker (visit our BookMaker Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
