76ers zero in on Hawks without Embiid
The streaking Philadelphia 76ers continue their quest for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference when they visit the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Friday at Philips Arena. But they'll have to do it without leading scorer and rebounder Joel Embiid.
Embiid suffered a facial contusion in the second quarter Wednesday's game against the Knicks when he collided with teammate Markelle Fultz. Embiid cleared concussion protocol and was taken to the hospital for testing.
He will not join the team on the trip to Atlanta and is expected to miss two games. He will undergo surgery on his orbital bone in the next few days and it's possible he might miss the rest of the season.
"I didn't see the contact," Philadelphia's Dario Saric said. "Everybody on the floor grabbed their head. Everybody is shocked in that moment."
The 76ers (44-30) have won eight in a row and nine of their last 10 games. Philadelphia trails Cleveland by half a game for third place but is also only a half-game out of falling into fifth place and losing home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Atlanta (21-54) has lost four straight games and is 1-9 in its last 10. The Hawks have the worst record in the Eastern Conference and only Phoenix (19-57) has a worse record in the entire league.
Without Embiid, who averages 22.9 points and 11 rebounds, the 76ers will lean heavily on Saric. He averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds as a starter when Embiid missed six games earlier this season. Saric had 26 points and 14 rebounds against the Knicks.
"I thought (Saric) was our MVP (against the Knicks)," coach Brett Brown said. "I do know that he is such a significant part of this team. From a spirit standpoint as much as a positional and statistical standpoint; his spirit is pure and he loves basketball."
The 76ers have been enjoying great starts. On Wednesday, they scored 37 points in the first quarter against the Knicks, the 35th time Philadelphia has scored at least 30 points in the opening period. They average an Eastern Conference-leading 28.9 points in the first quarter.
The 76ers had 34 assists against New York, their seventh straight game with at least 30, one shy of a franchise record established in 1980. It was the 21st time they've reached that plateau this season.
The Hawks have struggled through a series of injuries and have played at times this season without point guard Dennis Schroder, center Dewayne Dedmon and forward John Collins.
They're currently without starting forward Kent Bazemore and backups Malcolm Delaney, DeAndre Bembry, Jaylen Morris and Antonius Cleveland.
Schroder is not expected to play on Friday because of a sprained ankle.
The beat-up Hawks couldn't stop Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns on Wednesday, allowing the former Kentucky star to score a franchise-best 56 points.
"I think the biggest thing that stands out is the way the shot the 3-ball," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "To go 6-for-8, his size, is just impressive."
The teams have played once this year, with the Sixers winning 119-109 on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia. They'll play again in Atlanta on April 10.
The Hawks have won the last seven games in Atlanta and have not lost to the Sixers at Philips Arena since April 5, 2013.
