Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers attempts a shot against Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at State Farm Arena on June 11, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images via AFP)
LOS ANGELES – Joel Embiid finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Philadelphia 76ers snapped the Atlanta Hawks’ run of good fortune at home with a 127-111 win in game three of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.
The teams split the first two games in Philadelphia, but the Sixers dominated Friday to grab a 2-1 series lead and halt the Hawks’ 13-game winning streak at home.
Tobias Harris scored 22 points, Ben Simmons tallied 18 points and seven assists, and Furkan Korkmaz drained three of six from beyond the arc for the 76ers in front of a crowd of 16,400 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Philadelphia shot 52 percent overall and an impressive 47 percent from the three-point line, making 10 of 21 compared to Atlanta who made just six of 23.
Philadelphia’s perimeter shooting has improved as the series progressed, going from 34 percent in game one to 46 percent in game two.
The Sixers also once again contained the Hawks’ rising star Trae Young, who finished with 28 points in 37 minutes of playing time. John Collins scored 23 points and Clint Capela had eight points and 16 rebounds in the loss.
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks reacts to Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers after scoring a basket during the first half of game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at State Farm Arena on June 11, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images via AFP)
Philadelphia led 28-20 at the end of the first quarter and by five, 61-56, at halftime as Young had 16 points.
The Sixers seized command in the third, outscoring Atlanta 34-19 and extending their lead to 20 points heading into the fourth.
Philadelphia roared out of the halftime break, making their first eight shots of the third quarter to build an 80-62 lead.
Seth Curry highlighted their 19-6 scoring surge by nailing a three and a pair of short-range jump shots.