Atlanta Hawks Upset Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of Eastern Conference Semifinals

After winning a critical Game 6 on the road on Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers set themselves up for an opportunity to close the second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night during Game 7.

Despite losing two out of three games at home during the series, the Sixers were confident that the environment in South Philly could help them snag the must-win Game 7 on Sunday night.

But once again, the Atlanta Hawks weren't letting the atmosphere affect their goal of upsetting the Eastern Conference's first seed.

From the jump, the Sixers and the Hawks were neck and neck. As both teams shot 47-percent from the field in the first quarter, the Sixers led by just two points to close out the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, the tables turned, but neither team found a way to pull away. As Hawks starters Kevin Huerter and John Collins combined for 22 points in the first half, Atlanta went into halftime with a 48-46 lead.

Unlike their Game 6 performance, the Sixers failed to come out of halftime, putting their foot on the gas. As Philly's offense continued to play without any rhythm, the Hawks once again outscored the Sixers heading into the final period as they led by five points. 

Ready to put it all on the line, Sixers center Joel Embiid played every minute in the final quarter. Shooting efficiently from the field, going 5-for-9, Embiid collected 11 of Philly's final 25 points. Meanwhile, on the Hawks' end, star guard Trae Young collected ten points in crunch time despite struggling with his shot throughout the game. 

Although Embiid gave it all he got in the final quarter, he didn't get enough help on the offensive end. The rest of Philly's starting lineup totaled just 11 points in the final 12 minutes of action. It wasn't a pretty win for the Hawks, but they'll take it as they formed their second upset of the postseason by knocking out the Eastern Conference's top team in seven games.

As the Sixers once again failed to get past the second round, the Hawks will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2014-2015 season, where they will face the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven-game series.