Atlanta Hawks: 4 Best Performers from Victory vs. 76ers

For the final time this season, the Atlanta Hawks ended a game against the playoff-bound 76ers with a decisive victory.

The Atlanta Hawks, who many pegged to be the worst team in the NBA this year, managed to go 3-1 against the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Perhaps it was because Vince Carter was in the broadcasting booth instead of the court, or perhaps it was because Lloyd Pierce knew the 76ers’ playbook back-to-front after being with the organization for a few years.

Maybe Trae Young didn’t like the way Ben Simmons dismissed his Rookie of the Year candidacy recently, or the way that Simmons insulted the Atlanta Hawks last year in the game before Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 56 on the Hawks in Atlanta.

Either way, Philly had an extremely tough time playing the Hawks this year, and last night was no exception. Let’s explore the four best performances of the game starting with:

Trae Young

Once again, Trae Young blasted the 76ers with ease. Young’s eyes lit up whenever T.J. McConnel defended him, and his pick-and-roll actions with John Collins were lethal all night. Much of Trae’s scoring came from floater range or around the rim – where the Atlanta Hawks shot a sterling 72.7 percent clip per Cleaning the Glass. Trae’s final stat line was gaudy: 33 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds and a +6 on/off rating.

John Collins

John Collins had a flurry of brilliant dunks in this game, including a difficult semi-reverse off of a Trae lob:

JC missed the previous game against the Spurs, so he seemed refreshed and rejuvenated in this one, leading to an excellent 25-point, 8-rebound performance in which he also played solid defense around the rim while only committing 3 fouls.

DeAndre’ Bembry

In 21 minutes off the bench, DeAndre’ Bembry played beautiful defense on Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and others while also scoring 17 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Sometimes, Bembry makes it look easy and tonight was one of those occasions.

Kevin Huerter

Lastly, Kevin Huerter aka Red Pepper, started the game aggressively by driving to the rim and hunting out his shot. When Huerter is looking to score, he stretches the defense with his underrated athleticism and deadeye shooting, and he put it all together in this one with 15 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes.

The Atlanta Hawks play next on Friday against the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m. EST.