Hawks Pull Off Impressive Comeback, Defeat Sixers
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 103-100, at StateFarm Arena on Monday evening in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Hawks knew they needed a victory to defend their home court in Game 4 of the series after coming off back-to-back losses against the Sixers and, for a while, it seemed as if they were headed toward a third straight loss. However, Atlanta turned things around when it mattered the most and secured a huge win following a massive comeback in the second half, a result that evened the series to a 2-2 score and that now transforms this series into a best-of-three set with two of those contests set to be played at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia got off to a stronger start and jumped out to a 28-20 lead in the first half and held an 18-point lead with roughly one minute left in the second quarter, but the Hawks began their comeback just before the break. Down by 13 at the half, Atlanta outscored Philadelphia by a 31-20 score in the third quarter and by a 23-18 score in the final 12 minutes. That was enough to seal the win despite Philadelphia's multiple attempts of turning things around. In fact, Seth Curry could've evened things up and sent the game to overtime, but his potential game-tying three bounced off the rim when time expired.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 25 points but also produced a career-high 18 assists, while both John Collins (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Clint Capela (12 points, 13 rebounds) ended with double-doubles. Bogdan Bogdanovic produced a strong scoring performance after finishing with 22 points, and Kevin Huerter contributed 10 points. No other Atlanta player scored in double digits.
Joel Embiid had a strong game for the Sixers and finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds, but he also added four assists. Ben Simmons sniffed a triple-double after posting 11 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Tobias Harris ended as Philadelphia's top scorer thanks to his 20 points and five boards. Seth Curry also had 17 points, and Furkan Korkmaz had 10 points in a spot start. No other Philadelphia player reached double-digit points.
The Hawks knew they needed a victory to defend their home court in Game 4 of the series after coming off back-to-back losses against the Sixers and, for a while, it seemed as if they were headed toward a third straight loss. However, Atlanta turned things around when it mattered the most and secured a huge win following a massive comeback in the second half, a result that evened the series to a 2-2 score and that now transforms this series into a best-of-three set with two of those contests set to be played at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia got off to a stronger start and jumped out to a 28-20 lead in the first half and held an 18-point lead with roughly one minute left in the second quarter, but the Hawks began their comeback just before the break. Down by 13 at the half, Atlanta outscored Philadelphia by a 31-20 score in the third quarter and by a 23-18 score in the final 12 minutes. That was enough to seal the win despite Philadelphia's multiple attempts of turning things around. In fact, Seth Curry could've evened things up and sent the game to overtime, but his potential game-tying three bounced off the rim when time expired.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 25 points but also produced a career-high 18 assists, while both John Collins (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Clint Capela (12 points, 13 rebounds) ended with double-doubles. Bogdan Bogdanovic produced a strong scoring performance after finishing with 22 points, and Kevin Huerter contributed 10 points. No other Atlanta player scored in double digits.
Joel Embiid had a strong game for the Sixers and finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds, but he also added four assists. Ben Simmons sniffed a triple-double after posting 11 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, while Tobias Harris ended as Philadelphia's top scorer thanks to his 20 points and five boards. Seth Curry also had 17 points, and Furkan Korkmaz had 10 points in a spot start. No other Philadelphia player reached double-digit points.
Clippers Blast Jazz, 118-104, in Game 4 Win
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz, 118-104, at Staples Center on Monday night in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal-round series. The series is tied, 2-2.
The Clippers (2-2) had put together an impressive effort in their first win of the series in Game 3, surprisingly dominating the Jazz (2-2) on the way to a 26-point victory. There was a legitimate question as to whether Los Angeles would be able to pull off the feat for a second straight game given the caliber of their opponent, but their thoroughly dominating 30-13 lead at the end of the first quarter seemed to answer that question unequivocally. The hosts had added another seven points to their advantage by halftime, and although Utah managed to outscore L.A. by a 60-50 margin over the final two quarters, that only served to make the final score look somewhat respectable.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 37 points, adding five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Joe Ingles furnished 19 points, three boards, three assists and one steal. Bojan Bogdanovic delivered 18 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Rudy Gobert totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and one block. Royce O'Neale and Jordan Clarkson mustered matching eight-point tallies while recording eight and five rebounds, respectively.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George co-led the Clippers with matching 31-point, four-assist contributions while pulling down seven and nine rebounds, respectively. Marcus Morris supplied 24 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal.
The series shifts back to Utah, where the two teams reconvene for Game 5 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday night.
The Clippers (2-2) had put together an impressive effort in their first win of the series in Game 3, surprisingly dominating the Jazz (2-2) on the way to a 26-point victory. There was a legitimate question as to whether Los Angeles would be able to pull off the feat for a second straight game given the caliber of their opponent, but their thoroughly dominating 30-13 lead at the end of the first quarter seemed to answer that question unequivocally. The hosts had added another seven points to their advantage by halftime, and although Utah managed to outscore L.A. by a 60-50 margin over the final two quarters, that only served to make the final score look somewhat respectable.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 37 points, adding five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Joe Ingles furnished 19 points, three boards, three assists and one steal. Bojan Bogdanovic delivered 18 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Rudy Gobert totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and one block. Royce O'Neale and Jordan Clarkson mustered matching eight-point tallies while recording eight and five rebounds, respectively.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George co-led the Clippers with matching 31-point, four-assist contributions while pulling down seven and nine rebounds, respectively. Marcus Morris supplied 24 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal.
The series shifts back to Utah, where the two teams reconvene for Game 5 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday night.