February 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) passes the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Image The Atlanta Hawks are on a season-high five-game winning streak, including four at home. Now they will face an opponent they have owned in recent seasons.
The Hawks can complete a four-game season series against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Atlanta has also won eight straight games against the 76ers dating back to January 10, 2024. The last time these teams met in Philadelphia on Feb. 19, Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 32 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 117-107 win.
Coach Quin Snyder’s Hawks lost seven straight in December, falling under .500 in four games. They didn’t get back above .500 until Wednesday’s 131-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker continued his breakout season by scoring a team-high 23 points. Johnson added 20 points and nine assists, while Onyeka Okongwu added 21 points and eight rebounds.
“It’s a really good win to get us back above .500 for the first time in months,” Snyder said. “What impresses me the most is how unselfish they are. Everyone is sacrificing something for each other.”
CJ McCollum added 18 points and eight assists as Atlanta spread the wealth offensively.
“We had almost six players attempt double-digit shots. It’s a group that shares the ball,” Snyder said.
That unselfishness is evident every night, as five different players have led the Hawks in scoring during back-to-back wins. Atlanta is tied for 9th place in the East with the Charlotte Hornets, the conference’s other surging team.
Now the Hawks have a 76ers team that is expected to be severely depleted. Philadelphia has been without Paul George for several weeks after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-doping policy. He is not eligible to return until March 25.
Additionally, Joel Embiid (right oblique injury) will miss his fourth straight game. For Wednesday’s game against Utah, the Sixers were also without rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe, who suffered a back contusion in Tuesday’s loss to San Antonio. He is listed as questionable to play in the game against the Hawks. Kelly Oubre Jr. also missed Wednesday’s contest due to illness, but could participate Saturday.
That’s 72.2 points excluded against the Jazz. Tyrese Maxey had 25 points and six assists and Jabari Walker added 22 points and 10 rebounds off the bench as Philadelphia rolled to a 106-102 win. Walker’s 28 minutes is more than double his season average.
“Considering all the players, it’s a really great win,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.
The win ended an ugly two-game losing streak in which the Sixers were blown out by 40 points by the Spurs and lost 114-98 to the Boston Celtics. Right now, Nurse is going to get a win whenever possible.
“We have to find a way to get rid of them,” he said. “We don’t care what they look like, you know, just get a win here and there.”
–Field level media
