Sixers Discuss What Went Wrong in Game 7 vs. Hawks

The Philadelphia 76ers had their backs against the wall in Game 6 on Friday night. Trailing 2-3 against the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers had to pull off a tough win on the road if they wanted to remain alive in the NBA Playoffs. 

Although it was an ugly victory, the Sixers managed to pull it off in Game 6. As another unlikely hero emerged, and two starters in Seth Curry and Tobias Harris put the team on their backs down the stretch, the Sixers forced a Game 7.

Coming into Sunday's game, everything was in Philly's favor. Not only did they pick up a tough win on the road, but they were heading back home, where they've had tons of success throughout the years.

Aside from the Game 1 upset loss to the Hawks a couple of weeks ago, the Sixers managed to form hot starts at the Wells Fargo Center against Atlanta. However, the Sixers couldn't find a way to pull away in the first half on Sunday.

Shooting just 42-percent from the field in the first half, the Sixers collected just 46 points and trailed the Hawks by two. During the previous matchup in Game 6, the Sixers turned a shaky first half into a dominant start in the second half.

But the rhythm-less Sixers continued to play the same way as they did in the first half and went into the final quarter of the game trailing five points. Every time it seemed the Sixers were about to turn a corner, they failed to ignite fully. By the time the game started to really wind down, it was becoming clear they weren't playing like the better team on Sunday.

“I just felt it was a close game all the way through and then towards the end, we kind of made some mistakes that hurt us,” said Sixers forward Tobias Harris. “Give them credit, they had guys that had it going and were able to make tough shots as well, and we got a bit stagnant offensively out there.”

In the eyes of Doc Rivers, the Sixers' inability to take care of the ball is what killed their chances of gaining even the slightest momentum. As Philly turned the ball over seven more times than Atlanta, Rivers pinpoints turnovers as the key issue in Game 7.

“If you want to circle one thing, the 17 turnovers," the head coach said. "We shot 75-percent from the free-throw line. They just had too many extra shots at the end of the day for us to win the game, but offensively is what, to me, let us down tonight. I thought our defense hung in there as long as it could. We couldn’t make shots. I didn’t think we trusted passing tonight. I think it's a great lesson for us but not the lesson we want to learn in a Game 7.”

Sixers point guard Ben Simmons believes the Sixers didn't have the correct pace on Sunday night. As a team that thrives when they're sharing the ball and playing quick, the offense was more stagnant than ever throughout the entire matchup. “I think we slowed down the pace [down the stretch],” Simmons said after the game. “We didn’t move the ball enough, and we didn’t get enough stops.”

76ers star center Joel Embiid believes many factors played into the Sixers' inability to close out the game with a victory. Whether it be the lack of calls in favor of Philly from the referees or the team's stagnant offense, Embiid mentioned a lot played into the loss. Although the Sixers dropped the ball in a must-win game, the All-Star big man issued credit where it was due.

“First of all, I gotta give Atlanta a lot of credit for what they did,” he said. “Obviously, they beat us, so I got to give them a lot of credit. It sucks to come up short once again, but there’s a lot of stuff that happened. It just felt like this was gonna be our year. Whether it was COVID or injuries and stuff, it just sucks.”

With Sunday's 103-96 loss, the Sixers find themselves eliminated from the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will face the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Although the Sixers ended the regular season on a high note clinching the No. 1 seed in the East, failing to get past the second round of the playoffs once again will leave the team questioning what changes need to be made in the offseason.

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