Jaden Springer, 76ers Reserves Stun Atlanta Hawks in OT Thriller

The Philadelphia 76ers were major underdogs going into their Friday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. Not only did the Sixers roll without their two most notable stars, Joel Embiid and James Harden, but the entire starting five got the night off.

With a revamped lineup for the night, several Sixers reserves received an opportunity to garner heavy minutes. Primary rotation pieces such as Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, Paul Reed, and Shake Milton got the start.

The NBA G League Finals MVP Jaden Springer was recalled to the team fresh off his title win to start for the Sixers as well.

The young defensive standout didn’t disappoint. Through the first half of action, the former first-round pick checked in for nearly 18 minutes. During that time, he put up seven shots, draining four of his attempts. He scored nine points while producing one rebound, two assists, and one block.

Meanwhile, Sixers reserve Jalen McDaniels was efficient from the field in the first half, as he knocked down all but two of his eight shots from the field. While going 4-4 from the free throw line, McDaniels wrapped up the first half with a game-leading 18 points in 20 minutes.

In the third quarter, Georges Niang was the standout for the Sixers, as he knocked down all four of his shots from the field. By putting up ten points, Niang helped the Sixers outscore the Hawks 33-27, cutting a once 15-point lead down to four points going into the fourth quarter.

Friday’s game didn’t mean much for the 76ers, but they surely didn’t play like it. As Springer and Milton combined for 14 points, and Danuel House brought 11 points off the bench in nine minutes, the Sixers outscored the Hawks in the fourth quarter as well.

With some clutch shooting and stellar defense from Jaden Springer, the Sixers managed to tie the game up at 119, sending the matchup into overtime.

In the extra five-minute period, the Sixers outscored the Hawks 17-12. With another sharpshooting period from Niang, the veteran scored eight points, which helped the Sixers stun the Hawks with an unlikely 136-131 victory.

From Philly’s side, seven players notched double-digits in scoring. Shake Milton finished the game with a 15-point, 16-assist double-double. Springer collected a career-high of 19 points before he fouled out in overtime.

Jalen McDaniels had one of his better shooting nights, putting up 24 points and matching his scoring total with Georges Niang, who hit on five of his seven shots from beyond the arc. The bench unit gave the Sixers a solid boost as well. Montrezl Harrell secured a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds. Danuel House Jr. produced 22 points in 36 minutes.

With that win, the Sixers advance to 53-28 on the year. While it doesn’t count for anything at this point in the season, it was certainly a morale booster for the reserves before the playoff stretch.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.