3 76ers most to blame for Game 5 collapse against Hawks

The Philadelphia 76ers suffered an epic collapse in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks. Here are three individuals who are the most to blame.

Many basketball fans tuned out of Game 5 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks thinking it was over. The 76ers had a 26-point lead over the Hawks, and it was seemingly over. But then, the 76ers had a collapse of epic proportions, as they ended up losing 109-106.

Philadelphia sports fans are at a loss for words, while Atlanta fanatics are celebrating that they are finally on the opposite end of a blown lead. There is plenty of finger-pointing directed at 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, but there are three players who contributed to the loss.

Joel Embiid

Let’s start things early with Embiid. The star center had a phenomenal first half, as he scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting in the first 24 minutes of the game. Surely the momentum would continue into the second act and help the 76ers secure the win, right?

The exact opposite happened.

Embiid was ice-cold upon exiting the locker room and heading back to the court for the second half tipoff. The big man shot 3-for-9 from the field for a grand total of 7 points. He also missed two critical free throws down the stretch that would’ve cut Atlanta’s lead down to one. For the 76ers to succeed, they need their star players to contribute. Embiid gave the team hope in the first half, but then, for the second game in a row, he pulled a disappearing act when it mattered most.