Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks: 3 matchups that will decide the series

Matchups that will decide Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Doc Rivers vs. Nate McMillan

The battle between head coaches is another matchup that should be followed closely. The name is Rivers, but over the last few seasons, he’s gotten a bad rap for his team’s performances in the playoffs. Nate McMillan hasn’t had much playoff success over the course of his head-coaching career and is coming off just his second playoff series victory.

The adjustments and game planning could very well decide this series – even more so if Rivers has to adjust without, or a limited, Embiid. Rivers has been ridiculed in the past for decisions made in playoff series, so it’ll be interesting to see how he’s received by the fan base and media as this series progresses.

This second-round playoff series between the Hawks and Sixers might be closer than many are willing to admit. Atlanta has been playing much better than a 4-seed since McMillan took over as the team’s head coach and the Sixers are battling a huge injury at the wrong time.