John Collins hit a fadeaway jumper with 25 seconds left and the Hawks hung on for a 123-121 win over the 76ers on Friday night in Philadelphia.
The 76ers’ Jimmy Butler was fouled on a drive and had a chance to tie the game with 2.4 seconds left. Butler, an 86 percent free-throw shooter, clanged both shots to waste the chance at the tie. But Wilson Chandler slipped under the basket on the second miss and had a tip-in at the horn but failed to convert, leaving the Sixers stunned as they trudged off the court.
Collins scored 25 points and Kevin Huerter hit five 3s and led the Hawks with 29 points.
Butler led the Sixers with 30 points and Ben Simmons had 23 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds.
Philadelphia’s JJ Redick, who missed the last two games with a sore back, led a comeback in the fourth with a pair of 3-pointers that tied the game each time. The game turned into a 3-point shootout late - the teams combined for 23. TJ McConnell put the 76ers ahead by one with 2:39 left. Huerter buried a 3 to tie it at 121.
Butler had his first major miscue when he lost the ball on a drive down the lane that was recovered by the Hawks. Collins hit the jumper and that was enough for the Hawks (13-29) to send the Sixers to just their fourth home loss of the season.
The 76ers struggled with All-Star center Joel Embiid out with a sore ankle suffered in a loss to Washington on Wednesday night. Embiid tested his ankle on the court as late as he could. He was one of the final players to leave the court during warmups. His presence was missed - Embiid leads the 76ers with averages of 26.9 points and 13.4 rebounds in 40 games.
Former Hawk Mike Muscala started for Embiid and kept the 76ers in the game with 11 points in the first half.
Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce made a homecoming of sorts after spending five years on Brett Brown's staff with the Sixers. Pierce said he owed Brown so much for helping him become a head coach. Brown said Pierce was one of his first hires as "The Process" began in 2013. "I am connected in sort of deep ways to that staff," Brown said.
The Hawks host Milwaukee on Sunday.
