Doc Rivers Trusts Sixers to Force Game 7 vs. Hawks

The series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks took an interesting turn over the last two games. Before Game 4 in Atlanta tipped off, the Sixers held a 2-1 lead. Despite a sloppy start by both teams on Monday, the Sixers took a commanding lead heading into halftime.

At that point, it seemed inevitable the Sixers would get ahead 3-1 before taking the series back to Philadelphia as Atlanta faced elimination. However, the Hawks proved they don't accept defeat until it's actually official.

An 18-point lead wasn't enough for the Sixers. As they coasted through the second half of Game 4, Atlanta outscored the Sixers 54-38 and ended up snagging a 103-100 victory, tying the series up 2-2. 

The series continued on Wednesday night as the 76ers hosted the Hawks for Game 5. Following a shocking yet ugly collapse in Game 4, the Sixers entered Wednesday's matchup with a chip on their shoulders. After a red-hot start to the game, the Sixers went into halftime with a 22-point lead. 

As they led by as much as 26 points in the third quarter, Doc Rivers started relying on his bench late in the game and began pulling his starters out, who would walk back to the bench to loud cheers and ovations as it was assumed their nights were finished.

But as the Sixers learned in Game 4, no lead is safe when playing the Hawks. Yet again, the Sixers blew it. After getting outscored 69-44 in the second half, Philly lost to Atlanta 109-106. Now, they're back in the ATL for Game 6 and are facing elimination.

Doc Rivers described his team's mood as "down" on Wednesday night but made it clear he didn't think they were out. And while the Sixers were feeling down following their Game 5 collapse, Rivers is confident the series won't end in six games, as he believes a Game 7 is brewing for this weekend.

“I believe in my team,” Rivers said on Thursday. “You get to the next game, and it’s a new game. Every game is a single game. If Tobias was saying he was tired and out of it [on Wednesday], does that mean he’s gonna be out of it tomorrow? No, I trust my guys. For the most part, they’ve come through, and they’ve played well. I really believe they’re going to do that. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t have said that.”

Rivers is right when he says the Sixers have played well in this series. In all but one game, the Sixers have held double-digit leads over the Hawks. However, their ability to maintain those leads has been flat-out abysmal over the last two outings. 

Getting off to similar starts as they did in games four and five would be ideal for the 76ers. But avoiding the second-half letdown is what they would need to focus on the most. As they're facing elimination on Friday night, the Sixers will likely come out in the first half with a high sense of urgency. Now, it's up to them to prove their coach right and show they can squeeze another game out of the series.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.