Hawks take on 76ers, as both sides look to gain momentum
Stadium:
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Date:
Friday, 3 December, 2010
Teams Status:
Atlanta Hawks (12-7) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (5-13)
Previous Match:
Hawks (won) vs. Philadelphia (won)
Preview
The Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers have a great chance of improving their win-loss record for the season, and getting some momentum, when they meet for a match-up
at Philips Arena.
About Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks face the Philadelphia 76ers in their second game without star Joe Johnson. Does Atlanta have enough in the tank to beat a Philadelphia team that has
held opponents under 86 points in their last two games?
The Hawks first game without Joe Johnson can be termed a great success. After learning just before the game that they would be without the leading scorer for a significant
amount of time, the Hawks went out and put forth a consummate team effort to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.
Al Horford was one of six Hawks players to score in double figures with 20 points. Josh Powell and Jamal Crawford scored 16 points each for Hawks.
Hawks guard Jamal Crawford said that the team have what it takes to play well in the absence of Johnson,
"It shows that we can handle adversity. Joe is our franchise player, and we can't wait to have him back. But for now, everybody else has to step up."
Crawford is in full form, as he has averaged 18.8 points on 52.1 percent shooting in his last four games versus Philadelphia.
Atlanta shot 53 percent for the previous game and they were efficient in tallying 33 assists on 42 field goals in the game.
Atlanta moved to 5-5 at home with their last victory. The Hawks are 7-2 on the road, the best mark in franchise history after the first nine away games.
About Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia will come to Atlanta looking for a bit of revenge. The Hawks took the first matchup between the sides this season 104-101 win in October. Horford scored 20
points and 12 boards in that one, while Crawford chipped in with 19.
Philadelphia had been fantastic in their previous match, beating the Trail Blazers 88-79 at the Wells Fargo Center. The win was their third straight at home, and the first
of the season in which they won by nine or less points.
Philadelphia shot 47 percent from the field, compared to just 37 percent by the Blazers. The 76ers have shot 45 percent or better over the last five games (47 percent),
including consecutive wins for the first time since last March.
Philadelphia’s coach, Doug Collins was quite satisfied with the performance of the team, "I am so pleased with the way our guys are playing defence. They are terrific."
Philadelphia will look to Elton Brand to lead the way in their upcoming game, as he scored a team-high 18 points against Portland. He also scored 20 with eight rebounds
against the Hawks earlier this season.
We cannot ignore the sizzling previous performances of Andre Iguodala. He had a season-high 27 points with 10 assists in the previous contest. He has averaged 20.8 points
and 8.5 assists in his last six games versus Atlanta.
Decision is all yours!
Thus far, Atlanta (12-7) has been in good touch. Atlanta is averaging 105.8 points during its winning streak, while the 76ers (5-13) have not allowed more than 86 points
in consecutive victories. So, who will be the winner of this match?
Tags: