The Sixers will continue on their preseason campaign with their fourth of six games tonight, as they travel to Atlanta for a matchup against the Hawks. Here’s the info you’ll need for tonight’s game.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: State Farm Arena; Atlanta, GA
Watch: NBA TV
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Philadelphia is currently 1-2 in preseason, with a blowout win over the New Zealand Breakers and two losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics. Of note, Joel Embiid has not played in any of these games and is expected to sit the remainder of the preseason as he continues to rehabilitate his left knee and prepare for the upcoming season.
With Embiid out, here are a couple of things to look for in tonight’s matchup.
Rebounding
This should be a pretty front-and-center concern for the Sixers overall, but especially against a smaller team like the Hawks. This was a huge part of their ultimate playoff loss to the New York Knicks (another smaller team) last season.
The Sixers should be scrapping for boards as much as possible on both ends of the court, particularly defensively against a sharpshooter like Trae Young. While Andre Drummond will, of course, take a large part of that responsibility in Embiid’s absence, look for extra rebounding efforts from the likes of Paul George, Caleb Martin, Adem Bona, and KJ Martin.
Off-ball movement
Jared McCain did a really nice job on pull-up bucket opportunities in the Sixers’ most recent game against the Celtics, including this Nico Batum-esque no-dip three. Expect more pull-up buckets for him, alongside Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry. Strong, quick pull-up shooting is an essential skill for any playoff-caliber team, and the core guards are well-prepared to do just that.
