Snapshot:
The Atlanta Hawks (15-12) took the court at Philips Arena Wednesday amidst uncommon circumstances. The best regular season team in the Eastern Conference a season ago, Atlanta had dropped three straight games, and 11 out of its past 18 contests following a 7-1 start to the year. Subsequently, the Hawks played with purpose, defeating the 76ers (1-26), 127-106. In several instances in which the Sixers fell behind by 20 points in the second and fourth quarters, Isaiah Canaan and his productive three-point shooting surfaced to give the team some hope. Canaan posted a game-high 24 points, knocking down six of his eight three-point attempts. Atlanta, though, wouldn’t be slowed, converting a season-best 61.5 perecent of its shots, and forcing the Sixers into 24 turnovers, which led directly to 30 points for the Hawks. Jahlil Okafor, as he did during the first two stops on the Sixers’ road trip, offered steady offensive contributions. Although his four-game 20-point scoring streak came to an end, the rookie center punched in 19 points (7-12 fg, 5-6 ft), while snagging a team-high seven rebounds. Richaun Holmes, who delivered one of the top plays of the season (see next section of article), stepped in with 12 points and a personal-high seven rebounds. The 2015 second-round selection also handed out three assists and blocked two shots.
Nerlens Noel was forced to miss his second consecutive game due to a left corneal abrasion. He hopes to be available Friday, when the Sixers host the New York Knicks.
Brett Brown Said – On Jahlil Okafor’s defensive development:
“I think we need to continue to educate him on how to play pick-and-roll defense. How he navigates that world and performs in that world will be important. I have seen tremendous progress all over the place. He’s a willing learner, and he wants to learn. You see slowly that he has so much more to give and offer, and he wants to. So, we’re going to help him grow in that area.”Of Note:
Brett Brown has frequently discussed Isaiah Canaan’s value as a three-point shooting threat. The third-year pro entered Wednesday with a team-high 60 triples, but had hit five treys in 35 tries over his last five outings. During that stretch, he averaged 5.0 points per game. In a promising development versus Atlanta, Canaan seemed to recapture his stroke, draining a season-best 24 points. His six three-pointers matched a season-high. “I thought Isaiah Canaan played his heart out,” said Brett Brown. “He’s grown in leaps and bounds competitively, even though we knew he was a shooter. He’s tough.”Canaan has now reached the 20-point plateau four times in 26 games, equaling the total he accumulated in 47 outings a year ago between stints with the Houston Rockets and the Sixers.
With Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten less than two weeks into their respective returns from right knee ACL tears, Brett Brown continues to try his best to maximize the minutes each player has been allotted by the Sixers’ medical staff. Both fourth-year point guards were given a playing time ceiling of 20 minutes on Wednesday; however, Marshall logged 15 minutes, while Wroten finished with 16 minutes. Marshall’s seven points marked his highest total in four games. He also started, and doled out four assists. Wroten tallied 12 points for a second consecutive contest. Earlier on the Sixers’ road trip, Wroten spoke about how he attempted to take advantage of the mental reps he received during the first five weeks of the season while he was sidelined with his injury. “When you’re not playing, you’re more of a coach,” said Wroten. In particular, he studied the tendencies of Jahlil Okafor. “Knowing I was coming back soon, I was able to watch Jah in practice, training camp, and in the games I wasn’t playing. Just to see how talented he is, just learning his spots, me being a point guard, where he wants the ball. Bounce pass, over the top lob. Just picking and choosing what and what not to do and just witnessing what a great player and rookie he is.”
En route to compiling the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference a year ago, Atlanta proved to be one of the NBA’s top offensive clubs. The Hawks finished the 2014-2015 campaign with the league’s sixth-best offensive rating (108.9 points per 100 possessions), and 10th-highest points per game average (102.5). The Hawks also ranked fourth in field goal percentage (46.6), and second in three-point percentage (38.0).This season, Atlanta hasn’t been as successful offensively. Their efficiency rating was 16th in the NBA entering Wednesday’s contest, while their 99.7 points per game average was 18th. The Hawks had a particularly tough time scoring in their previous two outings, both of which were part of a three-game losing streak. Atlanta was held to 78 points on Saturday in a 25-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and 88 points in a 12-point setback to the Miami Heat on Monday. The Hawks converted fewer than 40.0 percent of their shots in each game as well. Wednesday, though, the Hawks got back on track, with their 127 points and 61.5 field goal percentage marking season-high figures. A major factor in Atlanta’s resurgence was All-Star Jeff Teague, who broke out of a modest two-game funk. The point guard tallied 16 of his 18 points in the first half, after having scored 11 total points his last two appearances. Kyle Korver had also been struggling as of late, hitting just four of past 20 field goal attempts before Wednesday. While he produced only seven points versus his old team, Korver still managed to have an impact, handing out a season-best seven assists.
Next Up:
The Sixers return to The Center on Friday at 7:00 PM EST, when they continue their annual four-game series with the New York Knicks. The Atlantic Division foes first met on December 2nd at Madison Square Garden, where New York’s Kristaps Prozingis helped fuel the Knicks’ 99-87 victory. That night, the fourth overall selection in this past June’s NBA Draft delivered what was his ninth of 10 double-doubles on the season, netting 17 points, hauling in 10 rebounds, and turning aside four shots. On Wednesday, in the Knicks’ 107-102 home victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Porzingis rebounded from the first scoreless showing of his career to total 11 points, six rebounds, and seven blocks, which matched a season-high. Fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves. The Knicks have now won back-to-back contests after enduring a season-high four-game losing streak.
