Atlanta Hawks stun Philadelphia 76ers to advance to Eastern Conference finals

THE ATLANTA HAWKS are through to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015 after a surprise game-seven win against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

Atlanta pushed aside a 0-9 record in Game 7s on the road to notch the victory, with Trae Young inaccurate but still able to score 21 points including a three-pointer which gave the Hawks a 93-87 lead with two-and-a-half minutes left.

Kevin Huerter top-scored for Atlanta with 27 points and closed out the game by making three free throws, as a packed Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia briefly fell silent.

MVP runner-up Joel Embiid had 31 points and 11 rebounds but conceded eight of Philadelphia’s 17 turnovers, while Tobias Harris also contributed 24 points.

Ben Simmons was one of the hosts’ quietest performers, with the Australian attempting only four field foals and scoring just five points.

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The crowd of 18,624 stirred to life again to boo the 76ers off the court, with fans reprimanded by the venue announcer for throwing rubbish on the boards as the Hawks prepared to face the Milwaukee Bucks when their final series starts on Wednesday.