Sixers cannot make it two in a row
ATLANTA - The late- game heroics the 76ers exhibited Friday never resurfaced on Saturday night here against the Atlanta Hawks.
ATLANTA - The late- game heroics the 76ers exhibited Friday never resurfaced on Saturday night here against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Sixers kept attacking the glass and even kept things competitive. They just couldn't get over the hump in a 117-96 loss at Philips Arena.
As a result, the Sixers (1-8) failed in their bid to win consecutive games for the first time since beating the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks in March 2015. The Sixers posted a 109-105 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers at home Friday.
The Sixers were in no mood afterward for moral victories, considering they lost to the Hawks (7-2) by 32 points on Oct. 29. They realized that they were unable to back up Friday's victory.
"This is a recovery league," coach Brett Brown said. "This is a show-me league. So how do you reload and redeliver from a performance that we had last night?"
The Sixers were without center Joel Embiid, who had the night off to rest his right foot. They are also still without Ben Simmons (fractured right foot), Jerryd Bayless (left wrist ligament damage), and reserve center Nerlens Noel (inflamed tissue above his left knee).
"You know it's a different talent base that we are looking at, but [winning games] is still our job," Brown said. "That's the hardening, that's the growth that our guys [have to] experience and truly understand."
The Hawks broke open the game with a 16-4 run fourth-quarter that gave them a 92-78 lead with 9 minutes, 42 seconds remaining. The Sixers didn't get any closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
The Sixers were also doomed by 19 turnovers and by shooting only 65 percent from the foul line.
Reserve guard Tim Hardaway Jr. led Atlanta with 20 points, while small forward Kent Bazemore added 17 points. Point guard Dennis Schroder had 16 points and eight assists. Center Dwight Howard finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in what was his seventh double-double of the season.
Jahlil Okafor paced the Sixers with 18 points, six rebounds, and two assists while getting the start in Embiid's absence.
Point guard Sergio Rodriguez (13 points), power forward Dario Saric (12), reserve guard Nik Stauskas (12), and small forward Robert Covington (11) were the Sixers' other double-figure scorers.
Embiid is scheduled to play Monday in Houston.
The Sixers built a 27-23 lead after one quarter by taking advantage of the Hawks' nine first-quarter turnovers. They turned those giveaways into 13 points.
But Atlanta built a 59-48 halftime cushion, thanks in large part to shooting 57.1 percent in the second quarter.
"We were competitive," Okafor said. "We just had little spurts where they just had fastbreak frees and a ton of open layups. Actually, they are a tough team to play."
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