The Atlanta Hawks went into hostile territory on Father’s Day and walked out with their first Eastern Conference Finals berth since 2015. Their 103-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers came on a night when Trae Young was 5-of-23 from the floor and Bogdan Bogdanovic continued to struggle as his balky knee limited him to a little over 21 minutes.
The last time the Hawks were in this position they were led by the head coach of the team they’ll face in Mike Budenholzer, now in his third season with Milwaukee Bucks.
On Sunday, they seized the moment and knocked out the top-seeded 76ers in just their third Game 7 in franchise history. It came just one day after the Bucks eliminated the second-seeded Brooklyn Nets and further shakes up an NBA Playoffs that has seen many a familiar name fall.
How did we get here? Where did the game turn and what did the Hawks do to make it go their way?
The Atlanta Hawks needed an all-around effort to get the win and they got it when they need it most
In a game that featured 20 lead changes, 19 ties, and no team leading by more than seven, it always felt like the Hawks would find a way to gut out the win. They even continued to shoot poorly as a team from the outside, going 25 percent from beyond the arc.
If you were told before the game that the Hawks would have fewer points in the paint, second chance, and fastbreak points than the 76ers, you would say they were going to lose.
That’s exactly what happened but the Hawks somehow still won. So let’s talk about the ‘why’.