Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks Preseason Game Prediction and Preview | Oct. 14, 2024

The Philadelphia 76ers will look to put their consecutive preseason losses in the rearview mirror and get back to winning ways when they take on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Monday (Oct. 19). Philly went down to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics earlier after a dominant win over the New Zealand Breakers.

In what is a key update, they will be without the services of superstar Joel Embiid who has already been ruled out of the remainder of the preseason to rest his knee and stay ready for a grueling regular season. The absence of their franchise superstar means the focus now shifts to Paul George — one of the bigger and premier names moving conferences this summer.

The former LA Clippers wing's arrival to Philadelphia was supposed to change the balance of power out East and now much depends on the veteran to set the tone for the potential title contenders to finish their preseason on a strong note.

Meanwhile, Atlanta is one of the teams that needs to tick a lot of boxes on both ends of the floor heading into the 2024-25 NBA season. They missed the playoffs last season and lost Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, along with role players Saddiq Bey and AJ Griffin who announced an early retirement from basketball this summer.

In return, they have Cody Zeller and Larry Nance Jr. coming in while also re-signing Vit Krejci.

The Trae Young-led Hawks were off to a good start to their preseason, propping up a narrow 131-130 run against the Indiana Pacers. Four of their starters ended with double figures as they edged a pacy Indiana team. Come Monday they will fancy their chances against the Embiid-less 76ers with the hope that an upset win can boost their morale massively for the remainder of the season.

Both teams met four times last season and have split the games two apiece.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks preview, predicted starting lineups, odds, and prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks tip off at 7:30 pm ET. The game can be watched live on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass. Here's a quick look at the odds as listed at the time of writing:

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total (o/u)
Philadelphia 76ers	-1.5	-120	o230.5 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks	+1.5	+100	u230.5 (-110)

Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks preview

The 2024-25 NBA preseason games might just get away from the usual bad press that they receive with teams preserving their stars in a bid to keep them fresh for the regular season.

Between Anthony Edwards' 31-point outburst vs the New York Knicks, Zach LaVine's wild 15-point quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies, and Boston Celtics duo Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum playing 20+ minutes already, there is a league-wide sense of urgency to hit the straps early on and fine-tune the X's and O's for a competitive regular stretch.

The Philadelphia 76ers rested George against the Celtics, but he will be a certain starter when they play the Hawks. The F/G had a solid outing against the Timberwolves with 23 points, and he will be one of the names pegged to form the frontcourt alongside Kelly Oubre Jr. George is a certified bucket, and will form a potent offense alongside Tyrese Maxey.

The chemistry between George and the two stars in Maxey and Embiid will be one of the focus points for Philly this season. They provided a look at what the understanding of their game would yield against Boston, and that should come as a plus for the 76ers. Defense now depends on what their backup centers can offer, with Andre Drummond and Adem Bona filling in for Embiid.

Atlanta now enters into the Zaccharie Risacher era. The rookie came off the bench to pour 18 points against the Pacers, and early impressions showed that the No.1 pick settled in fairly easy with decent shooting, promising defense, and impressive court awareness.

Unlike the Philadelphia 76ers where the expectation is a championship, the Hawks will be more than happy if they make the playoffs with a new-look squad. A thin roster will be their bane this season. Young and Capela's health and experience are crucial for the Hawks to stay in the hunt for a playoff berth.

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks predicted starting lineups

The 76ers will probably field the lineup that started against the Celtics. Maxey and Caleb Martin form the backcourt. Oubre Jr. and George share forward duties. Drummond plays the five. Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson are their second-unit opinions alongside rookie Jared McCain and Guerschon Yabusele.

Philadelphia 76ers injuries: Joel Embiid (knee) | Out

The Hawks will start Young and Dyson Daniels at PG and SG. Deandre Hunter and Jalen Johnson form the frontcourt. Clint Capela at the center rounds up their five. Risacher, Krejci, Kobe Bufkin, and Larry Nance Jr. are their role players.

Atlanta Hawks injuries: Onyeka Okongwu (toe) | Day-to-day

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks prediction

The Philadephia 76ers are expected to win this contest. Embiid rested doesn't necessarily deplete their depth or dent the level of impact they can have on both ends of the floor. The Hawks will have to defend out of their skins to keep the George-Maxey duo quiet. Expect a Philly win.