Hawks Looking To Close Series Out Against 76ers
The Atlanta Hawks will host the Philadelphia 76ers at StateFarm Arena on Friday evening in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Hawks currently hold a 3-2 lead in the series.
The Hawks delivered a statement win when the team needed it the most, as they were down by more than 20 points at one point in the game but delivered an impressive performance in the fourth quarter of Game 5 -- they outscored the Sixers by a 40-19 score in the final 12 minutes of action and that was enough to pull a huge comeback. Trae Young was absolutely dominant for the Hawks and finished with 39 points and seven assists while also adding three steals. John Collins had 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Clint Capela only finished with six points and eight rebounds. Danilo Gallinari had 16 points and eight boards while Lou Williams notched 15 points -- both coming off the bench. Atlanta needs to do a better job at the start of games, but they'll have a golden chance to close things out Friday since they'll have all the momentum on their side.
The Sixers must be kicking themselves for losing Game 5 the way they did it, as they entered the final quarter with an 18-point lead but let it slip away in the final minutes. Despite the loss, it's worth noting names such as Joel Embiid and Seth Curry carried the 76ers in this game -- both had impressive performances in Game 5. While the star big man finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals, while the sharpshooter guard delivered 36 points while making seven of his 12 three-point attempts. Ben Simmons only had eight points and went just 4-for-14 from the free-throw line. Tobias Harris also struggled and notched four points (2-11 FG). The Sixers need to close games out better, but they also need more from players such as Simmons and Harris. If those two star players are unable to perform as expected, then the Sixers will have a tough time trying to turn things around. Right now, Philadelphia has its back against the wall with only two games left in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks delivered a statement win when the team needed it the most, as they were down by more than 20 points at one point in the game but delivered an impressive performance in the fourth quarter of Game 5 -- they outscored the Sixers by a 40-19 score in the final 12 minutes of action and that was enough to pull a huge comeback. Trae Young was absolutely dominant for the Hawks and finished with 39 points and seven assists while also adding three steals. John Collins had 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Clint Capela only finished with six points and eight rebounds. Danilo Gallinari had 16 points and eight boards while Lou Williams notched 15 points -- both coming off the bench. Atlanta needs to do a better job at the start of games, but they'll have a golden chance to close things out Friday since they'll have all the momentum on their side.
The Sixers must be kicking themselves for losing Game 5 the way they did it, as they entered the final quarter with an 18-point lead but let it slip away in the final minutes. Despite the loss, it's worth noting names such as Joel Embiid and Seth Curry carried the 76ers in this game -- both had impressive performances in Game 5. While the star big man finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals, while the sharpshooter guard delivered 36 points while making seven of his 12 three-point attempts. Ben Simmons only had eight points and went just 4-for-14 from the free-throw line. Tobias Harris also struggled and notched four points (2-11 FG). The Sixers need to close games out better, but they also need more from players such as Simmons and Harris. If those two star players are unable to perform as expected, then the Sixers will have a tough time trying to turn things around. Right now, Philadelphia has its back against the wall with only two games left in the Eastern Conference.
Jazz and Clippers Meet in Critical Game 6
The Utah Jazz takes on the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on Friday night in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal-round series. The Clippers lead the series, 3-2.
The Jazz (2-3) rather surprisingly find themselves one game from elimination after being upset at home in Game 5 on Wednesday night, 119-111. Utah had the presumptive advantage of facing a short-handed Clippers squad that had just received the news it would be playing without Kawhi Leonard for at least Game 5 due to a knee injury, but they still were outplayed by the visitors on their way to Utah's third straight loss in the series. Bojan Bogdanovic paced the Jazz with 32 points, adding three rebounds. Donovan Mitchell supplied 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Rudy Gobert generated a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double that also includes one assist and one steal. Jordan Clarkson netted 15 points. Joe Ingles and Royce O'Neale generated matching 12-point tallies while pulling down seven and six rebounds, respectively. Ingles also added six assists.
The Jazz will likely list Mike Conley (hamstring) as no better than questionable for Friday night's game.
The Clippers (3-2) managed to fight through adversity and take the one-game lead in the series through a true team effort, as multiple complementary players stepped up in Leonard's absence. George led the way for the Clippers with 37 points, complementing them with16 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. Marcus Morris furnished 25 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Reggie Jackson delivered 22 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Terance Mann totaled 13 points, two boards, two assists and two steals.
The Clippers have already ruled out Leonard for Friday's contest.
Friday's game marks the ninth meeting between the teams since the start of the regular season. The Jazz and Clippers have each won four games apiece from each other.
The Jazz (2-3) rather surprisingly find themselves one game from elimination after being upset at home in Game 5 on Wednesday night, 119-111. Utah had the presumptive advantage of facing a short-handed Clippers squad that had just received the news it would be playing without Kawhi Leonard for at least Game 5 due to a knee injury, but they still were outplayed by the visitors on their way to Utah's third straight loss in the series. Bojan Bogdanovic paced the Jazz with 32 points, adding three rebounds. Donovan Mitchell supplied 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Rudy Gobert generated a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double that also includes one assist and one steal. Jordan Clarkson netted 15 points. Joe Ingles and Royce O'Neale generated matching 12-point tallies while pulling down seven and six rebounds, respectively. Ingles also added six assists.
The Jazz will likely list Mike Conley (hamstring) as no better than questionable for Friday night's game.
The Clippers (3-2) managed to fight through adversity and take the one-game lead in the series through a true team effort, as multiple complementary players stepped up in Leonard's absence. George led the way for the Clippers with 37 points, complementing them with16 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. Marcus Morris furnished 25 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Reggie Jackson delivered 22 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Terance Mann totaled 13 points, two boards, two assists and two steals.
The Clippers have already ruled out Leonard for Friday's contest.
Friday's game marks the ninth meeting between the teams since the start of the regular season. The Jazz and Clippers have each won four games apiece from each other.