NBA playoffs 2021: Players react to the Atlanta Hawks' incredible Game 5 comeback
With 2:10 left in the third quarter Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers were up 24 points on the Atlanta Hawks. The Sixers had a 99.7% chance to win the pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series, per ESPN Stats & Information research. And then the Hawks hawked their opponent down.
Atlanta outscored Philadelphia 40-19 in the final frame, including erasing a 14-point deficit with just six minutes remaining to complete the 109-106 comeback victory Wednesday night. Trae Young, who scored 25 of his game-high 39 points in the win, put the Hawks up for good late by drawing a 3-point shooting foul on Matisse Thybulle and making all three free throws.
In a dreadful second half, the Sixers were simply unable to score. Joel Embiid and Seth Curry were the only Sixers to make a field goal in the last two quarters (38 points combined), as the rest of the team shot 0-for-11 from the field for just six points.
As the meltdown occurred, the NBA world took to Twitter to share their views on Philly's struggles and Atlanta's perseverance.
