The Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers have already played one of the wildest games of the season, and now they’re running it back in Atlanta with both teams walking in bruised up and short-handed.
The 76ers are 14-10 and sitting fifth in the East, and they’ve quietly started to stabilize after a messy early stretch. The problem is they might be missing the exact guy who turns “pretty solid” into “actually scary,” because Tyrese Maxey is listed as doubtful again.
The Hawks are 14-12, ninth in the East, and the vibes are basically “survive until Trae is back.” Jalen Johnson has been a walking triple-double to keep them afloat, but the Hawks’ margin for error is thin, especially if Nickeil Alexander-Walker can’t go.
Injury Report
76ers
- Johni Broome: Doubtful (G League, on assignment)
- Joel Embiid: Questionable (left knee, injury management)
- Tyrese Maxey: Doubtful (illness)
- Jared McCain: Available (right thumb, surgery recovery, splint)
- Kelly Oubre Jr.: Out (left knee sprain)
- Hunter Sallis: Doubtful (G League, two-way)
- Trendon Watford: Out (left adductor strain)
This entire game swings on Joel Embiid and Maxey. Maxey has been playing like a real superstar this season with 31.5 points and 7.2 assists per game, so if he sits, the Sixers’ shot creation load gets heavy fast.
Embiid being questionable is the other landmine. His season line is “only” 20.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on 42.4% from the field, but that’s the ramp-up version of Embiid. He just dropped a season-high 39 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, so if he’s active, the 76ers can still win this with a Maxey-less offense.
Hawks
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Questionable (right lateral ankle sprain)
- N’Faly Dante: Out (concussion protocol)
- Nikola Djurisic: Out (G League, on assignment)
- Caleb Houstan: Questionable (G League, two-way)
- Eli John Ndiaye: Out (G League, two-way)
- Kristaps Porzingis: Out (illness)
- Jacob Toppin: Out (right shoulder surgery)
- Trae Young: Out (right knee MCL sprain)
Trae Young still being out is the headline. Without him, their offense is basically “Jalen Johnson does everything, and everyone else tries not to mess it up.” And losing Kristaps Porzingis removes a huge spacing piece that would’ve been perfect for dragging Embiid away from the rim.
If Alexander-Walker sits too, the Hawks are suddenly missing their second real on-ball scoring option, and that’s how you end up playing a whole game in the mud.
Why The 76ers Have The Advantage
First, the record and momentum lean their way. The 76ers are 14-10, and they’ve won four of their last five games, which matters when one team feels like it’s building and the other feels like it’s duct-taping.
Second, even with the injuries, the 76ers still have more ways to generate efficient offense. Paul George hasn’t been peak “Playoff P” all season, but he’s still giving them 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, and he just popped for a season-high 23 against the Pacers.
And VJ Edgecombe is the X-factor that changes how you defend them. He’s at 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists as a rookie, and he just had a 22-point night in that same win. If Maxey sits, Edgecombe’s downhill pressure becomes the thing that keeps the 76ers from looking stagnant.
But let’s be real: if Embiid plays, the advantage is obvious. The Hawks’ frontcourt is missing Porzingis and Dante, and that’s a brutal combo against a center who lives at the free-throw line and can just bully his way into control of the game.
Also, we’ve already seen this matchup. In the first meeting, Maxey dropped 44, and even that wasn’t enough because the Hawks stole it in double overtime. If Maxey is out this time, the 76ers are going to play with a chip the size of a billboard.
Why The Hawks Have The Advantage
The biggest advantage is simple: the Hawks are used to this life right now. Trae has been out, and Jalen Johnson has basically morphed into a point forward superstar. He’s averaging 23.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists on 52.6% from the field, which is ridiculous “do everything” production.
He’s also already cooked the Sixers once. In that first matchup, he went nuclear with 41 points and 14 rebounds in the double-OT win. So even if the Hawks don’t have the prettiest offense, they do have the one guy on the floor who can completely hijack a game with size, pace, and relentless downhill drives.
If Alexander-Walker plays, the Hawks get a real scoring punch next to Johnson. He’s averaging 20.7 points on 46.7% shooting, and he just led them with 22 in their last game. Dyson Daniels also matters here because he’s the guy who can make it annoying for whoever the Sixers try to run offense through, and he’s putting up 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.
The other edge is situational: the Hawks desperately need a clean game after getting embarrassed by the Detroit Pistons, 142-115, in a loss where the defense fell apart, and the bench got crushed.
Hawks vs. 76ers Prediction
This one is messy, and I don’t mean that as an insult. It’s just the reality when Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis are out for the Hawks, and Tyrese Maxey is doubtful while Joel Embiid is questionable for the 76ers.
If Embiid sits, I’d honestly lean Hawks, because Johnson is the best “available” engine and their offense can at least have an identity.
But I’m betting Embiid plays. He just looked like himself again with that 39-point eruption, and Philly feels like a team that’s starting to smell blood in the East standings. The Hawks have been sliding, and without Trae, they have to be nearly perfect to keep up for 48 minutes.
I think Johnson has another monster line and makes this uncomfortable. I also think the 76ers’ size, free throws, and late-game shot-making edge it out.
Prediction: 76ers 114, Hawks 109
