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The Philadelphia 76ers returned to action Thursday night, facing the Atlanta Hawks at home following the All-Star break. Franchise legend Julius Erving (also known as "Dr. J") was in attendance as his 76th birthday is just days away.
The matchup also marked Cameron Payne's season debut, although the 11-year guard went scoreless in 10 minutes. However, he did record five assists and two steals.
That said, Philadelphia came out quite flat and ended up losing by 10 in a disappointing performance.
Turnovers were an issue, as Philadelphia racked up 16. Of those 16, Philadelphia's rookie VJ Edgecombe committed six despite scoring 20 points.
Joel Embiid's absence was also felt, as the Hawks outscored Philadelphia in the paint 54-38.
Following the game, Edgecombe spoke about the loss, vowing to be better. "We're going to be better, man. I stand on that. I feel like we're going to be fine."
Currently sixth-place in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers will have to keep winning games in order to avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Taking care of business against teams with a worse record than them, like the Hawks, will certainly play a role in that moving forward.
With the Orlando's victory over the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia's lead over the No. 7 seed has been reduced to half a game.
With Embiid still sidelined, the 76ers will now embark on a three-game road trip, beginning Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. They'll then face the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers before returning to Philadelphia for their next home game against the Miami Heat.
More NBA news:
- Kon Knueppel reveals Larry Bird-like mindset
- Lonzo Ball calls himself the 'scapegoat' following trade from Cavaliers
- Spurs' Mason Plumlee deal foreshadows another move to come
- Giannis Antetokounmpo praises Kon Knueppel: 'One of the smartest rookies I’ve ever seen'
- Carter Bryant reveals what happened on final dunk attempt
- Tyrese Maxey: 'I feel a lot less out of place' after second All-Star appearance
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