The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night looking to get back in the win column. The Sixers were looking to end a 3-game skid on the fifth game of this 6-game road trip and look to feel good about something on the floor.
However, once again, the number of players missing was too much to overcome and the Sixers had Trae Young to contend with. The Hawks jumped on them early and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the night to hand Philadelphia a 132-119 loss. The Sixers have now lost four in a row with one game remaining on their road trip in New Orleans on Monday night.
Justin Edwards had 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists for Philadelphia, Quentin Grimes had 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds, and Guerschon Yabusele had 11 points and seven boards. Chuma Okeke had eight points and eight rebounds while Jeff Dowtin Jr. had 17 and Ricky Council IV added 14 points.
Here are the player grades after the loss:
Jeff Dowtin Jr.: C-plus
It wasn’t the usual offensive night for Dowtin as he had a tough time getting anything going with his own scoring. He did get the Sixers into their sets as he knows exactly what to do as the lead ball-handler for this group. He got going on offense a bit in the second half, but Philadelphia needed his scoring to offset what was on the sidelines and he was unable to do so in this one.
Quentin Grimes: B-plus
The Hawks have clearly read the scouting report. They sent a lot of defensive attention toward Grimes in order to slow him down as he had a tough time finding any clean looks in this one. He was slowed early in this one which set the tone a bit early. He continued to stay aggressive and look for his shot, but it was an overall rare off night for Grimes who has been fantastic thus far in the month of March. He did do some good things on the glass and with his playmaking while also getting to the foul line at a high rate so he still found a way to contribute in this one.
Justin Edwards: B-plus
The rookie got the Sixers off on the right foot in this one. Once again missing so many key pieces against an aggressive Hawks team, Edwards took it upon himself to get Philadelphia going on the offensive end. He was aggressive from the jump and did some good things with the ball in his hands. He scored off an assortment of moves off the dribble whether it was attacking the basket or pulling up in the mid-range. He competed on the defensive end as well as he continues to develop into a consistent player on the floor.
Chuma Okeke: B-minus
Getting another start, Okeke delivered another solid night. He has a lot of length which comes in handy on the defensive end and he was energetic on the glass which gave Philadelphia a lot of extra possessions. There were a few moments when he looked a bit hesitant with his offensive game, but Okeke had some good moments in this one.
Guerschon Yabusele: B-minus
Continuing to play despite a bothersome right knee, Yabusele was solid in this one. He was terrific in the paint on both ends of the floor and was able to produce around the basket on the offensive end. He knocked down an early triple which helped the offense get going a bit and he was a solid presence for the Sixers in this one. One has to appreciate The Dancing Bear for continuing to fight in what has been a tough season for everybody in a Sixers uniform.
Jared Butler: B
The initial stint for Butler off the bench showed off his scoring ability. He was able to get into the paint and finish at the basket by using a quick first step off the dribble. The Hawks didn’t have an answer for him in this one as he was able to keep the scoreboard moving. Philadelphia is looking for players to make a name for themselves during this final stretch of the season and Butler is one of those guys with a golden opportunity to do so.
Ricky Council IV: B-minus
Continuing to be aggressive off the bench, Council was attacking the paint and getting into the teeth of Atlanta’s defense on a regular basis. He had some trouble finishing at the basket at times, but he gave the Sixers some much-needed energy to the floor.
Oshae Brissett: C-plus
Brissett wasn’t able to get anything going in terms of his field goal percentage, but he was able to get to the foul line and give the Sixers something on offense. He also did a good job of bothering the Hawks with his energy on the defensive end. He has the ability to do a lot of different things on the floor so the Sixers will take more of that.
Alex Reese: C-minus
Reese had a non-descript night off the bench. He wasn’t able to make much of an impact in this one on either end of the floor and wasn’t there on the glass either. He did have a highlight slam in transition, though, so he does deserve credit for that.
