ATLANTA (AP) — The Hawks return to Atlanta beaming with confidence in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers despite their inability to slow down, much less stop, Joel Embiid.
The 76ers big man has scored 79 points in the first two games at Philadelphia to open the series, which is tied 1-1 heading into Friday's Game 3 in Atlanta — where the Hawks have won 13 consecutive games.
It's the longest active home winning streak in the NBA.
“I hope fans are ready to rock the house on Friday,” Trae Young said after Philadelphia's 118-102 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The Hawks will need their fans — but they also know they have to correct some issues on the court.
They expect better outside shooting from Young and his backcourt partner Bogdan Bogdanovic. And until they find a defensive combination to slow Embiid, Atlanta will have to do a better job of containing his teammates.
The challenge of containing the 76ers' outside shooting grew Wednesday when the Hawks announced De'Andre Hunter will miss the remainder of the postseason.
Hunter, the team’s top perimeter defender, has been scheduled for surgery on his right knee in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was held out the first two games due to soreness in the knee. After he had swelling in the knee, the Hawks say tests found a new small tear of his lateral meniscus.
Hunter averaged 15 points in his second season but was limited by the knee injury to only 23 games.
After finishing second to Denver's Nikola Jokic in MVP voting announced before Game 2, Embiid had 40 points and 13 rebounds. The 7-foot Embiid, listed at 280 pounds, has simply overpowered Atlanta center Clint Capela (6-10, 240).
Embiid recognizes the challenge that awaits the 76ers in Atlanta.
“The series is only 1-1,” Embiid said. “There’s nothing to really be happy about. We have to go over there and try to win both and take one of them at a time.”