Sixers-Hawks Game 7: Predictions for tonight’s game; Embiid fined $35,000 for Collins altercation
Hawks #Hawks
•What you should know
•The Sixers take on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight on TNT. Winner moves on, loser goes home.
•The winner of tonight’s Game 7 will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals beginning Wednesday night.
•Win or lose, Game 7 could have huge implications for the Sixers moving forward.
•Sign up for the Inquirer’s Off the Dribble newsletter for the latest Sixers news and analysis.
Those Father’s Day threads
// Timestamp 06/20/21 7:06pm
sunday best. pic.twitter.com/CfMJahEhxA
Doc Rivers: Game 7 often comes down to two things
// Timestamp 06/20/21 6:44pm
Doc Rivers is about to coach in his 15th Game 7. He’s won six, lost eight. All six of those victories have been when his team has been at home, so that’s something for Sixers fans to hang their sneaks on.
Rivers, in his 22nd year as an NBA head coach, said there are two keys to surviving this ultimate test.
”Execution and trust,” Rivers said Sunday evening. “At the end of the day, trust in what you’ve done all year. Not getting away from it.”
In the games that I won, I felt my team, for the most part, stayed with what they had and trusted,” he continued. “In the games I lost, for the most part, they didn’t.”
This is the first Game 7 at the Wells Fargo Center in 20 years. Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons and Seth Curry have Game 7 experience. Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic and most of Atlanta’s young nucleus do not.
”I’ve had a couple of games where the moment absolutely swallowed the team,” Rivers said. “You could just see it on the floor.”
— Ed Barkowitz
Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovic a game-time decision
// Timestamp 06/20/21 6:38pm
Atlanta wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who left Friday’s 104-99 loss to the 76ers for good early in the fourth quarter with right knee soreness, will be a game-time decision for tonight’s decisive Game 7, according to interim coach Nate McMillan.
Bogdanovic, who is listed as questionable on the NBA injury report, is averaging 14.8 points in the series, but has been in a slump. In the last three games he is averaging 11.7 points and shooting 21.7% from three-point range.
— Marc Narducci
A big Borgata bet
// Timestamp 06/20/21 6:15pm
$55k on under Sixers-Hawks at 216 points at @BorgataAC. Line moved to 215. Something appropriate about 215.
For the game, Sixers remain -7.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers reaches a critical moment in his coaching career in Game 7
// Timestamp 06/20/21 6:12pm
Sunday night’s contest could be a defining moment for 76ers coach Doc Rivers.
The Sixers will entertain the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. For Rivers, this marks his NBA-leading 15th Game 7 as a coach.
The 59-year-old is 6-8 in Game 7s, including a 6-4 home record.
As a result, this is a big game for him as well as standouts Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and other holdovers from the Sixers’ 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. They’re determined to get out of the second round for the first time in three tries.
— Keith Pompey
Hawks coach says he wasn’t surprised by Tyrese Maxey
// Timestamp 06/20/21 5:50pm
The Atlanta Hawks appeared to be blindsided by Sixers rookie Tyrese Maxey in Game 6.During the first five games of the series, he averaged just 2.6 points in 6.6 minutes. McMillan said that the Hawks weren’t surprised by Maxey, who scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had a plus-7 rating in 29 minutes, 28 seconds.
”No, he’s played well during the regular season and I think he had a game where he played well against us in the regular season,” McMillan said, likely referring to a Sixers loss on Jan. 11 in Atlanta when Maxey scored 15 points.
”He is a guy they have been using this season to bring that energy off the bench,” McMillan added. “I think with the addition of George Hill, it cut into his minutes, but no, he is not a surprise as far as what he is capable of doing out on the floor.”
— Marc Narducci
Hawks confident thanks to previous wins in Philadelphia
// Timestamp 06/20/21 5:00pm
On Saturday, Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan offered a confident front before Game 7 against the Sixers, and with good reason.
The Hawks have already won twice this series in Philadelphia; 128-124, in Game 1 and 109-106 in Game 5.
”You have to look at the fact that we have won there twice in this series, so you should feel confident that you can win in this building,” McMillan said. “We have done well, I would say, in the playoffs on the road; we have played with confidence on the road.”
The Hawks went 2-1 on the road in winning their opening-round series against the New York Knicks and are 2-1 in this series with the Sixers.The one difference is this is the first road game where they either must win or their offseason will begin.
”We are confident we can go in and win this game and continue to believe we have an opportunity,” McMillan said. “We put ourselves in a situation where we can win a Game 7, we didn’t take care of business [Friday], but we have another opportunity to advance.”
— Marc Narducci
Bettors backing Ben Simmons
// Timestamp 06/20/21 4:00pm
DraftKings this afternoon said its most popular player prop was Ben Simmons to score over 12.5 points tonight in Game 7.
With odds at -113, Simmons would have to score 13 or more. It’s a tricky play since Simmons offensive confidence has dropped like a stone lately. In the last three games he has 11, 8 and 6 points. He’s attempted one shot in each of the last three second halves. Ugh.
For those who remain bullish on Simmons and the Sixers anyhow, William Hill’s sportsbook has a parlay prop of Simmons over 14.5 points AND the Sixers to win the game at +210.The line on tonight’s game is Sixers -7 with a total of 216. Nick Bogdanovich, WH’s director of trading, says he’s seeing heavy action on the home team.
”People tend to bet what they saw last,” he said, “and they saw the Sixers show up.
”The home team is 1-1 straight up and against the spread in Game 7 in these playoffs. The Nets lost outright as a 3-point favorite to Milwaukee on Saturday, but the Clippers easily covered a 6-point line when they beat the visiting Mavericks by 15 in the first round.
Bookies are expecting plenty of action, too.”Game 7, in prime time,” Bogdanovich said, “the handle will be big on this.””If anything, Father’s Day will help [drive interest],” echoed Pat Eichner of PointsBet. “People chill and watch the U.S. Open all day, stay on the couch and flip over to the hoops.”
— Ed Barkowitz
Gallinari: ‘I think we will be ready’
// Timestamp 06/20/21 1:09pm
Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari has played in a Game 7 in two previous seasons, once in 2012 with Denver and in 2020 with Oklahoma City.
In both instances, his team lost Game 7, with both coming in first-round series. Denver lost to the Los Angeles and Oklahoma City fell to Houston. Gallinari, who is averaging 14.3 points off the bench in this series, was asked about the difference between a Game 7 and any other playoff game.
”I think it is not a huge difference with the other playoff games, of course everybody knows it is the most important game of the series because if you win, you go to the next round,” Gallinari said after Sunday morning’s shootaround. “The preparation and stuff we are doing is the same as for games 1-6 and I think we will be ready and everybody is really excited.”
— Marc Narducci
Embiid fined $35,000 for Collins altercation
// Timestamp 06/20/21 12:23pm
Joel Embiid was fined $35,000 for escalating an altercation for pursuing Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins late in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and not comply with an NBA security interview following the incident.
Meanwhile, Hawks forward Bruno Fernando was suspended for one game without pay for the leaving the bench area during the altercation. He will miss Sunday night’s winner-take-all Game 7 at the Wells Fargo Center.
During the late in the game altercation, Embiid was called for an offensive foul while appearing to score a basket on Collins in the paint with 4 minutes, 2 seconds remaining.
After both players fell to the floor, with Embiid falling on top of Collins, Collins shoved Embiid off him and began yapping at Embiid. The players got up and Embiid took steps toward the Hawks power forward. Embiid, while extending his arms, forced Collins off the court and to the side of the basketball stanchion. Both players received technicals.
#Sixers’ Joel Embiid has been fined $35,000 for escalating the on-court altercation for pursuing with Hawks John Collins in Game 6. Hawks forward Bruno Fernando has been suspended for Game 7 for leaving the bench during the altercation.
— Keith Pompey
Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid question officiating
// Timestamp 06/20/21 11:30am
Doc Rivers was trying to choose his words carefully when the 76ers coach was asked about the officiating in their Game 6 loss.
Rivers was asked about a third-quarter play in which the Hawks’ John Collins caught a high alley-oop pass from Trae Young and threw down a thunderous one-handed jam.
On his follow-through, Collins hit Joel Embiid in the head, but it was the Sixers center who was called for the foul. After Friday’s game, Embiid complained about the officiating.
”I just told them they have to call it both ways,” Embiid said.
Rivers responded to Embiid’s complaint.
”I don’t want to get into it. Joel brought it up and I think he’s right, I think the bigger guys, they take more liberties [against] and there are no calls,” Rivers said on Saturday.
Rivers then gave an example of the little guy, Hawks point guard Trae Young, getting away with, in his mind, fouling.
”There was a push-off in front of our bench,” Rivers said, “when Trae just pushed off Ben (Simmons), Ben barely moved, but it gave Trae the advantage and I asked the ref if that was Ben doing that to Trae, that is an offensive foul.
”Rivers then went back to talking about Embiid”I thought [with] Joel there were several things, one layup he made that a guy undercut his body, he fell to the floor, zero [call],” Rivers said. “The bigs, I complain about this to the competition committee, it just seems like you can take liberties with them that you can’t take with the guards out on the three-point line.”
— Marc Narducci
NBA Eastern Conference Finals schedule
// Timestamp 06/20/21 10:23am
If they win Game 7 against Atlanta on Sunday, the 76ers will host Game 1 of the next round on Wednesday.
No league is better at giving fans advance notice of playoff dates and time than the NBA. Even though we’re not sure who is playing, we do know when. The Sixers, the East’s top seed, would be home for Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. All they have to do is get there.
If fifth-seeded Atlanta beats the Sixers on Sunday, the winner of Saturday night’s Brooklyn-Milwaukee Game 7 would have home-court advantage in the conference finals. All games start at 8:30 p.m. and will be televised by TNT.
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— Ed Barkowitz
Shaq calls out Ben Simmons
// Timestamp 06/20/21 9:23am
NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal had a message for struggling Sixers star Ben Simmons ahead of the team’s Game 7 matchup with the Hawks.
”Ben, you went to LSU. Man up, man. Man up and stop messing around. C’mon now,” Shaq said Saturday night.
Simmons averaged over 19 points a game for the Tigers during the 2015-16 season, and shot 67% from the free throw line. But during the 2021 playoffs, he’s shooting just south of 39% from the free throw line, which has forced Doc Rivers to remove him during the final minutes of most games.
Of course Auburn grad Charles Barkley had something to add about O’Neil’s collegiate homerism.
”In fairness, LSU ain’t had a good player since Pete Maravich,” Barkley shot back.
“You went to LSU. Man up.”@SHAQ has a message for Ben Simmons. pic.twitter.com/kQaTazoI7t
— Rob Tornoe
Inquirer’s Sixers writers predict who will win Game 7
// Timestamp 06/20/21 8:32am
Here’s how the Inquirer’s Sixers writers see Sixers-Hawks Game 7 playing out:
Keith Pompey: Sixers win
David Murphy: Sixers win
Marcus Hayes: Hawks win
Marc Narducci: Sixers Win
Ed Barkowitz: Hawks win
Mike Sielski: Sixers win
Winner of Sixers-Hawks to face Bucks in Eastern Conference finals
// Timestamp 06/20/21 8:00am
The Milwaukee Bucks topped the Brooklyn Nets 115-111 on Saturday night in the first Game 7 to go overtime since 2006. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 13 rebounds, and Khris Middleton made the tie-breaking shot with 40 seconds left in OT.
The third-seeded Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years.
The Bucks blew a 2-0 lead last time they got to the conference finals, losing four straight to the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors in 2019.
They overcame that deficit this time, turning the series around after dropping Game 2 by 39 points and pulling out a deciding game that turned into a thriller.
Antetokounmpo tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise playoff record with five straight games of 30 points and 10 rebounds. He capped it off by becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 40 points, 10 boards and five assists in a Game 7 victory.
— Associated Press
Sixers have a great record at home in Game 7s
// Timestamp 06/20/21 8:00am
Game 7 is great and all, it just hasn’t been that great to the Sixers.
The franchise has lost 10 of its 16 Game 7s, including the last two. Kawhi Leonard’s Maple Leaf Magic in 2019 was a particularly cruel dagger.
But it’s not all bad. The Sixers are 5-1 all-time at home in Game 7, and have won their last four at home, the most recent being when Allen Iverson won a pair of Game 7s on the way to the NBA Finals in 2001.
The two loudest times I’ve ever heard the Wells Fargo Center (for sporting events, that is) was when the Sixers beat the Bucks that year (Iverson had 44) and when the Flyers beat Tampa Bay in Game 6 in 2004, when Simon Gagne scored in overtime.
— Ed Barkowitz
Sixers-Hawks Game 7: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream
// Timestamp 06/20/21 8:00am
If the Sixers defeat the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 tonight at the Wells Fargo Center, they’ll move on to face the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.
If the Sixers lose, they go home.
It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Sunday’s Sixers-Hawks game will air on TNT starting at 8 p.m. Eastern (which may actually be 8 p.m. thanks to the late start). Brian Anderson will handle play-by-play alongside analyst Jim Jackson and reporter Stephanie Ready.
The game can also be heard locally on 97.5 The Fanatic, with Tom McGinnis calling the game solo.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Game 7 of Sixers-Hawks:
•Sixers-Hawks, Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
•When: Wednesday, June 20
•Where:Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
•Time: 8 p.m. Eastern
•TV:TNT (Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Stephanie Ready)
•Streaming: TNT app, B/R app (requires cable authentication)
•Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic (Tom McGinnis)
— Rob Tornoe