Hawks battle back from 26 down to stun 76ers, take 3-2 series lead

Trae Young's playoff career-high 39 points helped the Atlanta Hawks overcome a 26-point third-quarter deficit to stun the Philadelphia 76ers for a 109-106 win in Game 5.

The Hawks outscored the 76ers by a whopping 40-19 margin in the fourth quarter to complete the epic comeback. Philadelphia has now blown double-digit leads in back-to-back losses.

"We keep fighting no matter what the score is. I’m proud of this team," Young said postgame, according to The Associated Press' Dan Gelston. "We have confidence in each other. We all love each other's company and it shows on the court. We never stop believing until the final buzzer goes off."

Lou Williams provided a major spark off the bench for Atlanta, chipping in 15 points and a game-best plus-31 rating, while John Collins contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds in the come-from-behind victory. The Hawks shot 45.9% from the field, including 34.6% on 3-pointers.

Philadelphia got off to a roaring start led by All-NBA big man Joel Embiid, who finished the first quarter with 17 points on 8-of-8 shooting. The MVP runner-up finished the loss with a team-high 37 points and 13 rebounds.

Seth Curry added 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting for the 76ers. Embiid and Curry were the only two 76ers players to convert a field goal in the second half, according to Meadowlark Media's Tom Haberstroh.

"We'll get back up. We'll be back here for Game 7," 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said, according to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. "This is part of sports. You have some awful moments. We have made this hard on ourselves. We have to own it. It's going to be a crazy atmosphere."

Atlanta now leads Philadelphia 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 6 of the series is scheduled for Friday in Atlanta. If the 76ers manage to force a Game 7, that winner-take-all contest would be played Sunday in Philadelphia.