The Detroit Pistons beat the Atlanta Hawks, 114-104, at State Farm Arena on Wednesday night. The Hawks’ three-point shooting was as cold as the weather outside the arena. They finished a season-worst 6-38 from beyond the arc- the worst shooting percentage on at least 38 attempts in franchise history. Vít Krejčí, Garrison Mathews, and Trae Young combined for 6-13 from deep; the rest of the team shot 0-25.
The Pistons turned the ball over 20 times, lost the points in the paint battle, 62-54, and fell in second-chance points, 19-10. However, Atlanta shot the ball so poorly that winning on the margins could not lift it over the hump. To make matters worse, the Pistons caught fire from three in the first half, shooting 9-18. They only hit three triples in the final 24 minutes, but their 69-51 lead at halftime was enough to hold off the Hawks.
Detroit’s defense, starting with Ausar Thomspon guarding Young, kept the home team out of rhythm. Young only took 13 shots for 13 points and nine assists. Thompson prevented the Hawks’ star from routinely touching the paint. Conversely, Cade Cunningham continued to bolster his All-Star candidacy with 29 points on 12-19 shooting and 11 dimes. Cunningham got to his spots well against Dyson Daniels. Atlanta’s young defender did not have a great defensive night, but he led his squad with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Jalen Johnson started this game with a bang, putting Jalen Duren on a poster. However, the Hawks never led after the Pistons went on a 7-0 to take a 22-15 lead in the first quarter. The deadly combination of cold three-point shooting and poor defense let Detroit build its advantage. Off the bench, Malik Beasley and Simone Fontecchio combined to shoot 5-7 from downtown in the first half.
Atlanta picked up its defense in the second half, holding Detroit to 45 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter. With time running out, the Hawks needed to catch fire from deep to complete a comeback. They cut the Pistons’ lead to 103-89 on a 14-6 run with 6:43 on the game clock. De’Andre Hunter and Daniels had great looks from three-point land but could cash them in. It was only until the final minute that Atlanta cut their deficit to single digits.
Clint Capela had a strong game off the bench with 16 points, 10 boards, and two blocks, while Johnson added 17 points (8-21 FG), nine rebounds, four dimes, and six steals.
Beasley had 19 points on 5-11 shooting from deep, and Thompson scored 16. Duren put up a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double with two blocks.
The Hawks have a quick turnaround on Wednesday night when they will host the Toronto Raptors.
