.@NerlensNoel3's the first rookie since @SHAQ & the first Sixer since Charles Barkley to match this line in a game. pic.twitter.com/Z6Yct5Seza
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) March 8, 2015
No, I’m not joking. The Sixers took down the Atlanta Hawks tonight, 92-84, in a thriller at the Wells Fargo Center, in south Philadelphia. Fans packed the stands excited to see the Hawks, who came into the game holding the best record in the league at 49-12. The Sixers on the other hand, came into tonight’s game holding the NBA’s second worst record at 13-49. Both teams were playing their second game of a back-to-back, as the Hawks were coming off a confidence boosting win over the Cavaliers, 16-97 last night in Atlanta, while the Sixers were coming off an 89-83 loss last night at the hands of the Utah Jazz.
Like I mentioned before, the Hawks were coming off an emotionally and physically draining effort last night to defeat Cleveland so they decided the sit some starters for tonight’s game, figuring that the Sixers wouldn’t be much of a test. Well, they thought wrong. The Sixers notice when better teams sit starters against them and it only motivates Brett Brown and his boys to play with more energy and fire. For the Hawks tonight, they had to learn this the hard way, as the Sixers battled throughout the game and climbed back from an early 31-20 deficit to remind the Hawks they weren’t going to leave the city of brotherly love without a fight. With Atlanta resting starters including Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carrol, and former Sixer Kyle Korver, the NBA’s best team suddenly found themselves in the midst of a dogfight with one of the NBA’s worst teams.
The battles continued throughout the night, as the two teams went back and forth, trading the lead on over 18 occasions. For three quarters the Sixers were led by Hollis Thompson nailing three-point opportunities and carrying the Sixers offensively. He finished the game just shy of a double-double with 19 points and 9 rebounds. And speaking of double-doubles, “Mr. Double-Double” Nerlens Noel contributed his fifth double-double in his past six games. He had a career high 17 rebounds to go along with 11 points and 5 key steals. The way he creates turnovers is astonishing and Sixers fans couldn’t be more pleased. Whether it’s the steals or defending the rim, Noel wreaks havoc defensively night in and night out. According to Sixers.com writer Max Rappaport, Noel is the first rookie since 1997 to record 17 rebounds and 5 steals in a game. He is also just the second Sixer since the 85-86 season to rack up 17-plus boards before their 60th game. The growth that he has shown over the course of this season continues to get better and better with every game the kid plays and he is truly becoming the face of this franchise.
The fourth quarter was the big turning point for the Sixers as they were able to take the timely lead and extend that lead thanks to multiple different players. Ish Smith continues to dazzle defenders and get to the rim with ease as he finished tonight’s game with 9 huge points and 6 assists in big moments. Another guard, Isaiah Canaan, continues to display his three-point shooting abilities as he accumulated 12 points tonight, including some timely three-balls. Mbah a Moute had a fantastic night offensively, contributing 19 points to the Sixers efforts on 8/16 shooting. And for one last stat line, we’ll go with Thomas Robinson who continues to produce solid minutes off the bench and did so again tonight, with 10 points in 18 minutes of action. The hustle plays this man puts on display has been opening eyes and he could very well become a viable candidate to stick around after this season.
The Sixers were able to capture and maintain the lead from Atlanta during the closing minutes of the game, leading to the 92-84 upset of the Hawks. The win will go down as one of the best wins this season for the Sixers and will be a gigantic building block moving forward, now knowing they can beat the best teams in the league. So, what did the NBA learn tonight? Do not rest your starters against the Sixers because they’re better then they’re record shows.
Up Next: Wednesday March 11th vs Chicago, 7pm tip.
