Righting the ship

That's more like it.

Tuesday night's matchup proved that, while the Atlanta Hawks are definitely a feisty opponent, when the Sixers assert themselves, it's curtains. So it went in a 118-102 victory to tie the series at one game apiece. It was a win that has Sixers fans feeling much more confident going forward.

So what stood out?

--Joel. Hans. Embiid. I'm beginning to wonder if he actually has a torn meniscus, or if that's just a ruse by the Sixers to lull the opposition into a false sense of security. Who drops 40 with a muscle in his knee ripped apart? He hit that mark on 13-of-25 from the field and, as per usual, bullied his way to the line (16 free throw attempts). Add in 13 rebounds, two steals and a block, and you have a performance that is at once utterly dominant and somehow par for the course. Clint Capela has been excellent for the Hawks, but Embiid has 40 pounds of muscle on the Swiss center, and it shows. Through two games this series, check this: 39.5 points on 54.3/37.5/83.9, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.0 blocks. I don't think it's a stretch to say we're seeing one of the most complete two-way big men the league has ever seen at the peak of his powers now. Let's just enjoy it.

--Shake Milton is alive! The embattled sixth man dusted himself off in this one to drop 14 points in as many minutes, all coming in the second half. He was especially key down the stretch, sparking a momentum swinging 14-0 run from the end of the third quarter into the first few minutes of the fourth that effectively sealed the proceedings. He also ended up leading all scorers with 8 fourth quarter points. The Sixers won his minutes by 15, the highest figure in the game. That's the type of lift the Sixers need him to provide again, especially if the rest of the bench continues to struggle to produce (all other second stringers combined for 12 points on 13 shot attempts). The 6'5" guard has shown in the very recent past he can get himself some from scratch buckets, which is exactly what the Sixers need in a slower-paced playoff setting lacking self-sufficient scorers outside of the aforementioned superstar center and Tobias Harris, particularly with Tyrese Maxey fading again (scoreless tonight, just 6 total points between the two games on ten shots).

--The Sixers led by 18 points less than 9 minutes into the game. What a beautiful start. They trailed by one point deep in to third quarter. Come on, man. Yes, the result is there, and it doesn't matter if you win by a single point or 50, and the final score does suggest a comfortable win. But these habits...can now subsist in the latter rounds of the playoffs assuming the Sixers advance. Actually, let me not discredit these Hawks--they can't afford to give away big leads to anyone. But let me change my tone a bit here--what they SHOULD keep doing is minimizing their turnovers. 19 cough-ups in game one became just 7 in game two, and they outscored Atlanta 28-7 from those plays. Yes, please.

--Seth Curry, hello! 21 more points on a tidy 8-of-13 shooting night, 5-of-6 from deep. Next to Embiid, the Other Curry has been possibly the biggest bright spot on the team in these playoffs. After closing the season strong, he's carried that over to these first two rounds, averaging 17.3 points on a scalding 54.8/45.5/90.0 slash. He's coming around screens in the mid range, burying deep triples, and having that patented Curry gravitational pull on defenders the moment he gets within 30 feet of the basket. The Sixers have won his minutes by a whopping 89 points 7 games into the second season, third on the team to Ben Simmons' +98 and Embiid's +97 in six games (related: Jebus). That's pretty good.

--Let's come down a bit from a high note and circle back to Simmons...yes, I just indicated the Sixers have outscored opponents by the largest margin on the team when the 6'11" point guard has been on the court. Yes, his defense has been unimpeachable (helping hold Trae Young to 21 points on 6-of-16 shooting is a solid accomplishment, even factoring in the 11 assists the third-year guard had). But...bro...three shot attempts? Seven or fewer in 3 of the last four games? I know scoring is not his primary focus and never will be, but that is alarming. It makes me think that his free throw struggles (he bricked both attempts in this one, brining his postseason mark down to 13-of-40, 32.5%) are really affecting his confidence. The lower levels of competition have still led to him producing gaudy figures (8.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists with a 3.3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio). But at some point, the Sixers are going to need him to be aggressive Ben again, which is still the best Ben. Maybe being snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year sparks the man.

What's Next?

The series moves down south to Atlanta for Game 3 Friday night at 7:30p.m. Expect the State Farm Arena to be explosive.