GRADES: Sixers shellac Hawks, clinch playoff berth

The Sixers dominated the Atlanta Hawks as Philadelphia has their full starting lineup return.

Atlanta, down Trae Young, DeAndre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and more never led in the game as Philadelphia stormed out to a dominating first quarter.

A steady display by Philadelphia of suffocating defense and ball moving offense, with Ben Simmons dropping highlight assists, led to a 37-17 barrage.

The second quarter was more of the same. Atlanta struggled to create with both Young and Bogdanovic not leading the way. Philadelphia flexed their defensive presence again as they had 22 “stocks” after having 29 the game previously.

Entering the halftime locker room, Philadelphia led 67-39.

The third quarter served as the most competitive of the night. A back-and-forth affair with diverse scoring played 26-24, Philadelphia as they entered the fourth leading 93-63.

By the fourth, Philadelphia was emptying their bench. The barrage didn’t stop. Shake Milton helped drive the offense and Isaiah Joe poured in six points during his opportunity.

Philadelphia eventually closed the game 127-83.

Grades from the Sixers’ dominant victory over a woefully undermanned Hawks team.

26 mins | 17 pts | 7 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 0 TO | 6-12 FG | 1-2 3PT| 4-4 FT | 3 PF | +19 |

Tobias Harris is returning to form with the rest of the team being back together. Harris went through a streak where he looked a little tired, but not tonight. A strong box score that met the eye test in limited minutes. A great game and the first “A” on a 4.0 report.

26 mins | 20 pts | 3 reb | 1 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 8-12 FG | 4-7 3PT| 0-0 FT | 0 PF | +18 |

Seth Curry poured in 20 points on only 12 shots. His presence changes the court for Philadelphia and unleashes Simmons to dish and Harris to cut. A strong game from a crucial player.

14 mins | 11 pts | 2 reb | 2 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 5-6 FG | 1-2 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | +16 |

Tyrese Maxey showcased why fans were so elated early in the season. His play is what every fan should learn to appreciate. Rookies aren’t going to be Luka Doncic or even put up Anthony Edwards-type numbers, but flashes of greatness are what’s important. Consistency comes, the talent is promising.

13 mins | 12 pts | 6 reb | 6 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 3-8 FG | 0-1 3PT| 6-7 FT | 3 PF | +17 |

Milton should already get credit for how much he has outplayed his draft stock. Beyond that, he has proven to be every bit as important as any of Philadelphia’s bench units. His size and playmaking on the ball appear to be excellent options if Philadelphia needs more scoring in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

16 mins | 12 pts | 1 reb | 0 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 4-6 FG | 4-6 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | +17 |

Furkan Korkmaz is perhaps Philadelphia’s most fun player to watch when he’s clicking. Two steals complemented four three-pointers. When Korkmaz catches fire as he’s capable, Philadelphia becomes that much tougher capitalizing on those bench minutes.

Atlanta will look to exact revenge as the teams run it back on Friday, again, in the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia will be aiming to keep the race tight with the Brooklyn Nets for the number one seed in the conference.