Atlanta wasted a chance at reaching the Eastern Conference Finals after falling 104-99 to Philadelphia on Friday night. The the Hawks at 76ers game 7 matchup shifts back to the City of Brotherly Love, where top seeded Philadelphia will try to move on to the next round. Oddsmakers have the Sixers as -7 point favorites Sunday night.
The Hawks already have two wins at the Wells Fargo Center this series, even though the 76ers were 29-7 at Wells Fargo Center this season. Atlanta has covered the number in their last 8 Sunday games, but the 76ers are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 13 at home. It seems tempting to take the points in this one, but could Philly be in line for a blowout victory?
Hawks Used to Road Adversity
Atlanta will be up against a crowd of 18,000+ in the Hawks at 76ers game 7 matchup. The electricity of an elimination game definitely adds some excitement, but Atlanta has been very good on the road this postseason. Their current run includes a couple of wins over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and taking games 1 and 5 in Philadelphia.
It may not matter where Atlanta plays on Sunday, but more so who takes the court. De’Andre Hunter has missed this entire series with a knee injury, but now Bogdan Bogdanovich’s status is in jeopardy after suffering knee soreness in the 4th quarter of game 6. Bogdanovic hasn’t done much the last two games though, scoring just 13 combined points.
The good news for Atlanta is that Philly is battling some injury issues of their own with Joel Embiid playing through a meniscus ailment. Plus, the Hawks still have Trae Young who has lit up for 39 and 34 points the last two games, as well as John Collins who has been solid on the boards and aggravating to Embiid. Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams also combined for 31 points off the bench in the game 5 win in Philadelphia.
Can Sixers Close Things Out?
Embiid’s health has been a concern this series, but he also has three games of 37+ points so far. The Sixers big man had just 22 points and 13 rebounds on Friday, and was hassled into 8 turnovers as well as four personal fouls.
The guy who really stepped up to help the Sixers force the decisive game 7 was Seth Curry, who dropped 24 points thanks to going 6-9 from beyond the arc. It was a huge bounce back for Philadelphia after they blew a 26-point lead in the game 5 loss. Can you really rely on another shooting night like that from Curry though, even though he also had 36 in game 5 thanks to going 7-12 from three?
The Sixers could use a step up game from Ben Simmons as well, as he has been essentially a non-factor this series. Simmons has 8 and 6 points the last two contests.
Free Hawks at 76ers Game 7 Pick
It’s crazy that Philadelphia is a 7-point favorite in game 7, especially with Embiid’s knee issues and with Simmons being invisible. Philly has gotten to the point where they have to rely on Curry, and Atlanta has also proven that playing on the road fuels them.
Hawks 104 – Sixers 105
Free Pick: Hawks +7
