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The lights did go out in Georgia in game six of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals, but the hopes of Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers are still on after a narrow win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The 76ers bounced back from a nightmare loss to the Atlanta Hawks in game five, but only made sure they would hang on to keep the series alive in the final 15 seconds of their 104-99 victory.
Australia’s Ben Simmons struggled again, making just two of six shots from the field, and scoring only two of four free throws.
The 76ers received widespread criticism after their game five loss at home, where they gave up a 26-point lead and were outscored 40-19 in the final quarter as Atlanta won 109-106.
Simmons went 4-for-14 in free throws as his problems at the foul line left the Hawks happy to foul him repeatedly. He had 38 minutes on court for four rebounds, nine assists and eight total points.
With the series on the line in game six, the Australian had a reduced role, as rookie Tyrone Maxey played nearly 30 minutes and scored 16 points for the Sixers off the bench.
In contrast, Simmons played only 25 minutes before fouling out in the last quarter.
AP: John Bazemore
)For the Hawks, Trae Young had another big game, scoring 34 points including five big three-pointers.
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The last of the five came with two minutes left, to bring his side back to 94-93 down.
The Sixers then started to bring the ball back down the court, when suddenly the lights went out in the arena.
Power was restored after a brief delay, and the Sixers steadied.
As time was running out, the Hawks were forced to foul to give themselves some chance.
In the end, Philadelphia won by five points, with power forward Tobias Harris and shooting guard Seth Curry leading the way with 24 points apiece, while star centre Joel Embiid had 13 rebounds and 22 points.
The win ensures the 76ers will host game seven in Philadelphia at 10:00am AEST on Monday. The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference finals to meet either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Brooklyn Nets.
