Hawks overpower 76ers, 104-72
PHILADELPHIA -- Paul Millsap scored 17 points, Kyle Korver added 15 and the Atlanta Hawks had little trouble dismantling the Philadelphia 76ers, 104-72, in a rare Saturday afternoon game at the Wells Fargo Center.
Mike Muscala contributed 14 points, while Dennis Schroder scored 11 points and dished out 11 assists. Reserve Thabo Sefolosha also had 11 points as the Hawks improved to 2-0.
The Hawks received very little from Dwight Howard -- two points and seven rebounds on 1-of-4 shooting -- but they didn't need much in this game. Kris Humphries came off the bench to grab 10 rebounds.
Atlanta led by double figures for much of the game and dominated the early part of the fourth quarter. Sefolosha scored three straight baskets and added two free throws midway through the fourth, pushing the lead to 94-68.
Prized rookie Joel Embiid and Sergio Rodriguez each scored 14 points for the Sixers, who fell to 0-2. Richaun Holmes chipped in with 10 points.
Last season, the Sixers dropped their first 18 games and 30 of their first 31 en route to a 10-72 debacle.
The Hawks quickly pushed their 14-point halftime lead to 18 on consecutive baskets by Millsap, a short jumper and a dunk, to open the third quarter.
Howard's only basket came with 10:09 remaining in the third on an alley-oop dunk for a 59-41 lead.
The Sixers got to within 66-56 when Jerami Grant dribbled into the lane and threw down a vicious one-hand dunk.
But Atlanta extended its advantage to 74-58 by the end of the third.
The Sixers came out red hot, surging to an 8-0 lead. Embiid hit a 3-pointer and added a layup in the first 46 seconds of the game, while the Hawks missed their first six shots.
Embiid continued his torrid play with a blocked shot against Howard with 7:39 remaining before halftime. After the block, the fans chanted "Trust The Process!" and roared in appreciation.
Philadelphia struggled from the field (15 for 43), as Robert Covington and Gerald Henderson combined to miss all eight shots in the first half.
Korver knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:57 left, pushing the Hawks' lead to 44-32.
Korver led all scorers at halftime with 15 points. Despite a 53-39 lead by the Hawks, Howard was held scoreless (0 for 3), although he swept six rebounds.
Atlanta led by as many as 16 points and took advantage of Embiid's three fouls and 6:38 of playing time. The rookie center is expected to play no more than 20 minutes per game while finally recovering from two foot surgeries and two missed seasons.
NOTES: Hawks C Dwight Howard, who notched a double-double in his debut Thursday against Washington (11 points, 19 rebounds), is the NBA's active leader in double-doubles with 614. ... Sixers C Joel Embiid had 20 points against Oklahoma City on Wednesday and remains the only rookie in the league to reach at least 20 points in a game thus far this season. ... The Sixers went with the same starting lineup as opening night, with Sergio Rodriguez and Gerald Henderson at guard, Dario Saric and Robert Covington at forward along with Embiid at center. ... Hawks F Mike Scott sat out a second straight game because of a sore left knee. Scott received limited action during training camp and the injury has continued to linger.