76ers at Hawks
The Philadelphia 76ers continue to operate at a level unforeseen by even the most optimistic of predictions, and new players are taking star turns on a nightly basis. The 76ers will look to stay above .500 when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Rookie Michael Carter-Williams got a good deal of credit for Philadelphia’s hot start, but without him on the floor Wednesday it was James Anderson and Tony Wroten putting up career-best performances.
Wroten had been performing well in spot duty off the bench but stepped into Carter-Williams’ starting point guard spot on Wednesday and put up his first career triple-double with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 123-117 overtime win over the Houston Rockets. “It’s a blessing,” Wroten said after the performance. “I’m at a loss for words right now. A lot of hard work in the gym.” If Carter-Williams (bruised left arch) is unavailable on Friday, Wroten will again get the call against Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who is coming off a 25-point performance on Wednesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE 76ERS (5-4): Wroten did most of his assisting to Anderson, who poured in a career-high 36 points in the win over the Rockets. “I got in a rhythm early and guys did a good job of finding me,” Anderson said. “I finally got an opportunity and it’s great timing.” The big games from Anderson and Wroten came in addition to another strong effort from Evan Turner, who continues to mature. The former No. 2 overall pick had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win and is averaging 23 points, 6.3 boards and 3.3 assists in his breakout campaign.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (4-4): Atlanta had a two-game winning streak come to an end with a 95-91 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday and have a tough stretch coming up with visits to New York and Miami after the 76ers. Wednesday’s setback marked the first time this season that the Hawks had failed to reach 100 points and the second straight loss in which they squandered a fourth-quarter lead. “I feel good about our team,” Al Horford said after the loss to New York. “We just need to learn how to hold the leads and finish out these games.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hawks G/F Kyle Korver has hit a 3-pointer in 81 straight games - eight short of tying the record set by Dana Barros.
2. The 76ers have taken seven of the last nine meetings and won in their last trip to Atlanta, 101-90 on Apr. 5.
3. Carter-Williams was wearing a walking boot prior to Wednesday’s game and is day-to-day.