The Sixers no longer sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.

For the first time since mid-January, the team is is play-in tournament territory. The Sixers fell Saturday night to a 125-116 loss to the Hawks and dropped to eighth in the East standings.

Atlanta extended its winning streak to six games, improved to 33-31, and swept the regular-season series vs. the Sixers.

On the other side, the Sixers dipped to 34-29.

The Sixers had three players score over 20 points in Tyrese Maxey (31 points), Quentin Grimes (26 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (24).

Hawks star Jalen Johnson posted 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right oblique strain) and VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion). Atlanta’s Jonathan Kuminga sat out with left knee inflammation. 

Next up for the Sixers is a Monday night meeting with the Cavs in Cleveland. Here are observations on their loss in Atlanta:

Oubre back in business 

After missing the last two games with an illness, Oubre was back in the Sixers’ starting lineup. Maxey, Grimes, Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona rounded out the team’s first five. 

The game immediately looked on course to be a high-scoring affair. The Sixers opened 5 for 6 from the floor, the Hawks 5 for 7. Dyson Daniels banked in an early three-pointer.

Maxey was unsurprisingly the main star of the first quarter. He scored 15 points, swiped two steals and was eager to cause trouble in transition.  

Oubre was also excellent right off the bat in a low-rust return. He seemed to do something positive on nearly every first-quarter possession. The lefty wing posted nine points on 4-for-5 shooting, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in the first period. 

Watford at his best in first half

Seconds after subbing in for Bona, Andre Drummond fouled Jock Landale on a corner three attempt. The Sixers’ pecking order at center without Embiid stayed clear. Bona logged 29 minutes, Drummond 19. 

The Sixers played effective zone defense late in the first and early in the second quarter. They were active in the zone and Atlanta made several rushed, poor decisions. Following the Hawks’ ninth turnover, Cameron Payne leaked out for a layup that gave the Sixers a 44-31 lead. 

Trendon Watford’s play jumped out off the Sixers’ bench.

Watford was great offensively in the second quarter. He went at Corey Kispert, Daniels and just about anyone guarding him, and the 25-year-old forward was productive as both a passer and scorer. Watford tallied eight points on 4-for-4 shooting in his first five minutes of action. Both he and Daniels were assessed technical fouls for a trash-talking exchange that included a Daniels shove.

In the big picture, Watford’s subpar jump shooting and lack of defensive nimbleness have significantly limited his versatility this season. However, Saturday’s showing was a reminder that he’s still a multi-faceted offensive player who can have game-shifting stretches. 

Maxey leaves late

Once Atlanta cleaned up its turnover issues a bit, the Sixers’ lead predictably decreased.

Maxey committed his third foul with 1:02 left in the second quarter. He made it to halftime without another foul, but Atlanta eventually pulled in front.

Grimes had a fantastic third quarter featuring multiple acrobatic layups, but the Hawks kept scoring and the Sixers added to their ever-growing list of lost third quarters. Maxey only had a single point in the third and the Sixers faced a three-point deficit at the start of the fourth.

The game appeared on its way to a tight finish. Watford evened it up at 102 apiece with a driving-lay-in, but the Hawks replied with an 8-0 run. The Sixers’ offense stalled with a string of mostly stationary possessions and Maxey remained quiet.

The team also hurt itself with an uncharacteristically high-turnover night. Oubre tried to throw a post entry pass to Maxey on the bounce and Daniels easily intercepted it.

On a more concerning note than the individual loss: Maxey collided with Bona in the final minute as both chased after a loose ball and exited the game alongside Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson with 16.2 seconds left. He seemed to be dealing with pain and discomfort in his right hand.

Maxey’s played 61 of the Sixers’ 63 games and leads the NBA in minutes. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters in Atlanta postgame that he’s undergoing X-rays on his right hand. The Athletic’s Tony Jones reported Maxey will have additional testing Monday on his finger.