Written by Titan Frey
- HAWKS 128
- SIXERS 124
GAME 1 of the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers saw the return of big man and MVP candidate, Joel Embiid.
His health was in question after injuring his knee vs the Washington Wizards in the first round, but he was ready to play.
So, with this information, you’ll think the number one seed Sixers will have their way with the Hawks, right? WRONG!
The Atlanta Hawks have a player who’s been playing out their mind so far here in these playoffs, by the name of Trae Young.
Young kept up this incredible play in this game. He finished the game with 35 points and 10 assists on 11-23 shooting.
Young had the Hawks out to a huge lead (26 points) at one point in the game. They were looking good and the Sixers, quite frankly, were not.
But the Sixers wouldn’t go away quietly. The Sixers stormed back with 41 points scored in the fourth quarter.
The Sixers, thanks to consecutive baskets scored by Embiid, cut the lead to three, but Young responded with a beautiful
lob to John Collins, who finished with a one-handed jam.
Embiid looked good out there, despite the cartilage tear in his right knee. He finished with 39 points and 9 rebounds.
Embiid’s going to need more help and the Sixers will have to figure out how to slow Trae Young in game 2, which will be played on June 8th at 7:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, or their chances to win this series doesn’t seem high.
- MAVERICKS 111
- CLIPPERS 126
Game 7’s are where champions are born. This is where the best players shine and the second tier usually struggles.
In this game, the best players DID shine. Luka Doncic, the Mavs best player came out and scored 29 in the first half, which helped to keep his team close (Mavs 62- Clippers 70 at the half).
The Mavs opened the third quarter on a 19-6 run and led 81-76. Then a Clippers’ player rose to the occasion.
Was it Kawhi Leonard? No. Paul George? No. The player was Marcus Morris. He buried two big threes that sparked a 32-6 run that gave the Clippers a 108-87 lead with 8:57 remaining.
Now, I bet you’re wondering about my original statement. I said champions and the best players SHINE in game 7’s. Well, a real champion did shine by taking over the remainder of the game.
Kawhi Leonard, who’s a two-time champion, took over. He hit big shot after big shot, while playing some stellar defense, which helped to keep the Mavs late charge away.
The home team, which was 0-6 in this series, finally got a win, and the Clippers will now move on to face the Utah Jazz in the second round. Game 1 will be played at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, June 8th.
If you’re not excited about this year’s NBA playoffs, then I don’t know what’s wrong with you!
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