PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The toughest part of the 76ers' 103-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of their playoff series was the big picture. The Sixers and Hawks are now down to a best-of-three with the series even, 2-2.
Also frustrating is the way the Sixers lost the game. They built an 18-point lead in the first half before the Hawks stormed back. Coach Doc Rivers was not pleased with the way his team played offensively in the defeat.
"We went back to hero basketball, basically," said Rivers. "Everybody wanted to be the hero instead of just trusting your team, trusting each other. When you do that, you usually lose."
Another part of the Sixers' frustration was the health of their superstar. Joel Embiid left the game in the second quarter as the training staff attended to his ailing knee. Embiid did not have a field goal in the second half and missed a potential go-ahead shot in the closing seconds.
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"Great look," Embiid said. "I just didn’t have the lift. Thought I got fouled, too, but usually I would go up and, especially for a bucket like that, try to dunk it."
If Embiid is sidelined for any period of time, the Sixers' chances of reaching the NBA Finals would be extremely remote. Embiid has shown remarkable courage playing through the pain of his torn meniscus, and he admits he won't be able to put the injury past him until after the playoffs.
"I can always be better," said Embiid. "As far as me being 100%, I don’t think that’s going to happen until the year is actually over. That said, I’ve just got to go out and manage it."
While the Sixers believed they made too many mistakes, the Hawks have shown they will be a difficult team to eliminate. With Game 5 and a potential Game 7 set to be played in south Philadelphia, Ben Simmons is hoping the home crowd will make a difference as the Sixers look to finish off the pesky Hawks.
"We're obviously going home," Simmons said. "We’re playing in front of your home fans, so they’re going to give us that boost that we need probably, but we’ve got to handle business game by game."