Is it a winning streak?
The Atlanta Hawks continued their six-game home stand tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers with major playoff implications on the line. Atlanta ultimately defeated Philadelphia 132-123 for its third consecutive win.
The Hawks started the game in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings as they came in a game in a half in front of both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.
The Hawks were without Trae Young (left calf contusion) and Caris LeVert (sprained left middle finger), however they did get Vit Krejci (lumbar fracture) back from injury after missing the last 10 games.
The Hawks dominated the game as they were in complete control almost the entire game. The 76ers struggled to find a rhythm as they were missing several key players, but the Hawks were able to take advantage of it.
The Hawks outscored the 76ers 66-57 in the first half while also outrebounding them 27-15. The Hawks also controlled the scoring inside the paint with 44 points compared to 28 points by the 76ers.
The Hawks led by as many as 16 points as they had four players in double-digits by halftime.
Zaccharie Risacher was very efficient and effective in the first half as he scored 17 points on 7-for-9 from the field while also grabbing six rebounds. He finished the game with 22 points and showed why he was the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Onyeka Okongwu continues to play big for the Hawks. Since February 1, Okongwu has averaged 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while shooting 62% on his threes. He is one of three centers averaging 14-and-9 on 60% shooting since January 20. He also had a great first half tonight with 10 points and five rebounds. He finished with 15 points overall.
Dyson Daniels continued his double-digit scoring streak — now 17 games — as he finished with 25 points. Mouhamed Gueye added 14 points and seven rebounds while Georges Niang scored 10 points. Terance Mann contributed 19 points from off the bench.