This was bad. This was really bad. Yep, this was just about as bad as it gets.
A No. 1 seed losing a Game 7 to a No. 5 seed? That happens about once every 40 years.
How pathetic was the 76ers’ 103-96 loss to the Hawks in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinals?
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Here’s your answer in tonight’s Roob’s 76ers Stats. It’s grim.
FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS: The 76ers became the first No. 1 seed to lose a Game 7 of any postseason series to a team seeded 5th or lower since 1981, when the top-seeded Suns lost Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals 95-88 to the No. 5 seeded Kansas City Kings at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
FIRST TIME IN 53 YEARS: The loss was the 76ers’ first at home in a Game 7 in 53 years, since a 100-96 loss to Bill Russell and the Celtics in Game 7 of the 1968 Eastern Division finals at the Spectrum. This was the Hawks’ first road Game 7 win in franchise history. They were 0-9 away from Atlanta (and St. Louis) in Game 7s
HOW DO YOU GO 1-3 AT HOME? The 76ers became only the second No. 1 seed ever to lose three home games in a conference semifinal round series. The only previous No. 1 seed to lose three home games to a team seeded 5th or lower was the 1995 Spurs, who lost three home games in the Western Conference finals against the Rockets.
NBA
JOEL TURNED IT OVER AGAIN: Joel Embiid, playing on a torn knee, almost single-handedly kept the 76ers in this series and in this game. But he did commit eight turnovers for a second straight game. He’s the first player with consecutive eight-turnover games in the postseason in 38 years, since Magic Johnson had eight and nine in Game 3 and Game 4 of the 1983 NBA Finals loss to the 76ers. Embiid is also the first 76er with eight turnovers in back-to-back games in any game - regular season or postseason - since Allen Iverson in 2005. Only four other 76ers in franchise history have ever had consecutive eight-turnover games in the regular season: George McGinnis in 1978, Charles Barkley in 1986 and 1987, Cliff Robinson in 1988 and Derrick Coleman in 1996. In all, Embiid had 33 turnovers in the series. Only six players in NBA history have had more in any series.
AT LEAST HE’S CONSISTENT: Furkan Korkmaz went 1-for-5 from 3 for a third straight game. He’s the first 76er ever to take five or more 3’s in three consecutive games and make 20 percent or fewer in all three.
DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT BEN PART I: Unfortunately, we do. Simmons played 11 minutes in the fourth quarter without attempting a field goal. This was the fourth consecutive game he didn't take a shot in the fourth quarter. In the last six games of the Hawks series, he attempted just one field goal in the fourth quarter despite playing 44 minutes. He also had just five rebounds, two steals and three assists in those six fourth quarters.
DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT BEN PART II: In the last three games of the series, Simmons played 38, 26 and 36 minutes and scored 8, 6 and 5 points. This is the first time in his career - regular season or postseason - he’s played 25 minutes in three straight games and scored eight or fewer points in each game. It's also the first time in 76ers history a player who averaged at least 14 points during the regular season had three straight games with 8 or fewer points in 26 or more minutes in the playoffs.
TWO NBA RECORDS FOR SETH: Seth Curry made 3 of 5 shots from 3, finishing the series 31-for-52 from deep for 59.6 percent. That’s the highest percentage in NBA history by a player in any series on 45 or more 3-point attempts. The previous record was 55.1 percent by current 76er Danny Green, who was 27-for-49 for the Spurs in the 2013 NBA finals against the Heat. Curry also extended his streak of games with five or more 3-point attempts and 40 percent accuracy to eight. Nobody else in NBA history has ever had eight straight 40 percent games. Klay Thompson, Kyle Lowry, Steph Curry and Raja Bell each had seven in a row.
JOEL DID WHAT HE COULD: Despite the turnovers, Embiid had a record-setting postseason and series. He finished the Hawks series with 213 points, 89 rebounds and 27 assists. The only other players in NBA history to hit those numbers in any postseason series are Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Elgin Baylor.
121 DAYS TO GO: As devastating as this was, there’s always another season. And the 2021-22 NBA season opens on Oct. 19, which is only 121 days away!