76ers vs. Hawks Preview: How to Watch, Live Stream, Odds and More
*Update: Al Horford has been ruled OUT by the 76ers on Thursday
The Philadelphia 76ers are getting primed for another road trip, and it starts with a game on Thursday night against the Atlanta Hawks. After battling through heavy emotions on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, the Sixers persevered and came out on top with a convincing win, despite it being a sloppy game.
At this point, the Sixers are just expected to win at home all the time. With only two losses in South Philly this season, it has become clear they just play so much better on their own court. When it comes to playing on the road, though, the same skills and team chemistry doesn't tend to travel too well.
Although the Sixers wrapped up a mini road trip last week with two wins to only one loss, they have another major test coming up for the next four games as they are all on the road. Thursday night begins with a rematch against the Atlanta Hawks.
The last time the Sixers and the Hawks met was back in October. At the time, the season was still so young, and teams were just finding their identities. Philly was favored over a flawed Hawks team rightfully so. However, Atlanta didn't just roll over for the Sixers when these two teams first went to battle. The Hawks put up a solid fight.
It just wasn't enough in the end for them, though. The first meeting was the Joel Embiid show for the Sixers. The All-Star starter dropped 36 points as he clocked in for 33 minutes. The rest of the Sixers' starting lineup was held to under 15 points.
Meanwhile, Trae Young established his dominance in the NBA this season early on. And his performance against the Sixers wasn't any different from others. On that October night, he drained 25 points in 35 minutes of playing time. For Atlanta, his solo contributions weren't enough. Therefore, the Sixers came out on top 105-103.
GAME INFORMATION:
Game Time: January 30th, 2020, 7:30 p.m. ET.
Location: State Farm Arena
Stream: NBA League Pass
Odds: The 76ers are favored over Atlanta at -7.5 via The Action Network
While it would be ideal for the 31-17 76ers to pick up a dominant road win over the last place, 12-36 Hawks on the road to build up road confidence, the Sixers are still in a tight spot on Thursday. While they got Joel Embiid back in the lineup, the veteran center is still a little rusty and getting used to the splint he is forced to play with on his hand.
Also, the Sixers' starting lineup is still shorthanded. Starting shooting guard Josh Richardson remains out with a hamstring strain, and now starting forward Al Horford is dealing with right knee soreness, which has him questionable for the matchup.
A dominant win on the road against a much lesser team could be a nice boost for the Sixers' confidence, but the theme of the season has been all about close matches. Thursday night in Atlanta could be the same story, different venue.
