The Atlanta Hawks maintained control against the Philadelphia 76ers for the majority of Friday’s 127-121 victory. However, they faltered towards the end, resulting in a closer outcome than anticipated. While satisfying, the win could have been more convincing, especially considering the absence of key players from the 76ers roster, including Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Nicolas Batum.
Onyeka Okongwu showcased a strong performance early in the game, benefiting from a favorable matchup against the 6-foot-9 Paul Reed. He opened the scoring for the Hawks with a hook shot, followed by Jalen Johnson’s coast-to-coast drive, leveraging his physicality for a finger roll layup.