March 8, 2026, 5:30 a.m. ET
The Philadelphia 76ers were unable to come out on top on Saturday as they had another tough third quarter on their way to a 125-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Sixers were swept by the Hawks on the season and they were unable to remain in the top 6 as they fell into the play-in tournament as the No. 8 seed now with 19 games to go.
Tyrese Maxey had 31 points and five assists to lead Philadelphia before leaving with a hand injury, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and Quentin Grimes had 26 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Trendon Watford added 10 points off the bench while Jabari Walker had nine points and five rebounds.
Here are the three biggest takeaways following the loss:
Another ailment
The Sixers entered this contest already missing Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Paul George. Then, with 16 seconds left and Philadelphia trailing by nine, Maxey collided with Bona going for a loose ball and he was grabbing at his hand and wincing in obvious pain. When it rains, it pours in Philadelphia, and the Sixers have to hope that Maxey won’t miss too much time. With the loss, they are now the No. 8 seed in the East as they have fallen into the play-in tournament. If this is an injury that keeps him out for a bit, the Sixers are going to be in trouble.
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Once again, the third quarter was a problem for Philadelphia. The Hawks won the third 31-21 and opened the half on a 13-4 run as they turned to a 7-point halftime deficit into a lead rather quickly. The Sixers have to be able to clean up these constant mistakes in the third quarters of games. Now, 63 games into the season, the Sixers should have nipped this in the bud by now. It’s something that has to be squashed over the final 19 games of the season as the Sixers look to climb back into the top 6 in the East for a guaranteed playoff spot.
Oubre and Grimes provide offense
The Sixers certainly missed Oubre’s ability to light up the scoreboard when the time calls for it in the previous two games. The 11-year veteran out of Kansas provided a lot in this one in his return to the floor as he was able to give the Sixers that secondary scoring they needed. Throw in the play of Grimes and Philadelphia has to feel good about what it has received from its perimeter players. The Sixers will need to lean on Grimes and Oubre to lead the way on the offensive end should Maxey miss any time.