The top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers are one loss away from elimination, but things could have been very different entering Friday’s Game 6 against the No. 5 Atlanta Hawks. After blowing their second straight game leading by 18 or more points, the Sixers now find themselves trailing 3-2 with their season on the line and the most important game in front of them — on the road in Atlanta. After one half of play at State Farm Arena, it is the Hawks who have a slim lead over the 76ers thanks largely in part to a standout performance from Trae Young.
The Sixers are the first team in the last 25 years to blow a lead of 18-plus points in back-to-back playoff games. They dropped Game 5 despite leading by 26 in the third quarter and 18 entering the fourth. Young and the Hawks pulled out the win for the third-largest comeback in the past 25 NBA postseasons. Joel Embiid scored 37 points, and had big help from Seth Curry (36 points), but Ben Simmons’ brutal playoff run continued as he scored just eight points and shot just 4 of 14 from the line. He’s now missed 43 free throws and is on pace for the second-worst free-throw percentage (33 percent, 22 of 67) in a single postseason.
For more on the NBA playoffs, we’ve got you covered with an in-depth look at the 76ers-Hawks series, the round-by-round playoff schedule, a breakdown of our expert predictions for both the second round and the entire postseason. Follow below for all the real-time updates throughout Game 6 between Philadelphia and Atlanta.