Trae Young's 33 Points Lead Hawks Past Jimmy Butler, 76ers Without Joel Embiid

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 130-122 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Young led the way with 33 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Hawks, with John Collins contributing 25 points and eight rebounds.

Ben Simmons (15 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists and four steals) flirted with a triple-double in a losing effort for the Sixers. Jimmy Butler had 16 points in the loss. Joel Embiid missed his third consecutive game because of load management.

Sixers Need Alpha Jimmy Butler to Capitalize on Promise

Philadelphia has one of the most talented rosters in the league on paper, but unless Butler plays more aggressively, it will be tough for the Sixers to realize their full potential.

The four-time All-Star has proved that he can take over a game late and lead his team to victory with a clutch fourth quarter. That's the type of Butler this team needs come playoff time—and for all four quarters.

Entering play on Wednesday, there was a common trend in Butler's usage rate by quarters, via NBA.com:

• First: 19.1
• Second: 20.3
• Third: 20.5
• Fourth: 28.0

And it was another quiet start Wednesday.

Nearly eight minutes had gone by in Atlanta before Butler attempted a shot. He finished the opening period with just two points on 1-of-3 shooting, which contributed to the Sixers trailing by four after 12 minutes of action. And after resting to start the quarter, the second was more than halfway over before Butler truly made a mark on this contest.

Butler went on a mini 7-0 run by himself late in the second to help his team take its biggest lead of the game to that point.

But at halftime, his five shot attempts were the fifth-most on the team. Meanwhile, his team trailed at the break.

He finished 5-of-11 from the floor in 34 minutes on the night. He did have 10 free-throw attempts, though, making five.

To be fair, Butler was questionable for this game because of back tightness. That ailment may have affected his play against the Hawks, but he has not been putting up his usual numbers lately. 

Butler entered the game averaging just 11.3 points over his last three appearances and had been held to 15 points or fewer in 10 of his last 24 showings. Overall, his offensive numbers have been down since the All-Star break:

• Pre-All-Star break: 19.3 PPG, 48.2 field-goal percentage, 37.1 three-point percentage
• Post-All-Star break: 17.9 PPG, 41.2 field-goal percentage, 27.0 three-point percentage

Those are concerning numbers for a team with championship aspirations.

Wednesday night's loss won't have any effect on Philadelphia's playoff success, especially since it's a team just playing out the regular season while trying to maintain good health. But if the Sixers want to win their first championship since 1983, having Butler take charge more often would go a long way in helping the franchise achieve its ultimate goal.

What's Next

Philadelphia (49-29) will be back in action Thursday, when Embiid is expected to return to the lineup as the Sixers return home to host the Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta (29-50) is off until Friday, when it will hit the road for a clash with the Orlando Magic.