The Hawks crushed the Detroit Pistons 129-107 on Tuesday night at State Farm Arena. Dejounte Murray missed this game due to a non-Covid illness, so Quin Snyder started Bogdan Bogdanovic at shooting guard. After a disappointing second-half collapse in San Antonio on Sunday, Atlanta found its offensive rhythm quickly to start this contest.
De’Andre Hunter and Trae Young led the offensive charge, scoring 15 of the Hawks’ first 18 points. Hunter ignited the State Farm Arena crowd with a ferocious, left-handed slam around Pistons’ center James Wiseman. Detroit countered with Marvin Bagley III scoring 10 of their first 17 points, including two threes. Atlanta led 18-17 with over six minutes left in the opening frame, but Killian Hayes caught fire for the rest of the quarter. He gave the Pistons a 28-25 lead before former Piston, Saddiq Bey, hit two threes to close out the quarter, giving Atlanta a 36-30 lead. Hayes had 15 points, while Young totaled 11, and Hunter put up 10.
The Hawks stretched their lead to 41-34 early in the second quarter, but Detroit quickly answered. Bagley blocked Young on a transition layup attempt leading to an R.J. Hampton three-pointer to cut Atlanta’s lead to 46-45. Both teams scored 20 points in the paint leading up to halftime, but the Hawks entered the break leading 66-59. Atlanta dominated the glass, out-rebounding Detroit 31-18.
After a subpar defensive first half, the Hawks brought the defensive energy in the third quarter. They stretched their biggest lead out to 13 at 74-61 after an emphatic help-side block from John Collins on Jaden Ivey’s layup attempt. This led to a transition three for Bogdanovic, who totaled four from beyond the arc. Bogdanovic hit three threes during a massive 14-0 Atlanta run to put the Hawks up 82-61. Detroit only managed to score 19 points in the quarter, and Atlanta took a 91-73 lead into the final frame. The Hawks never looked back, as they emptied their bench with just under three minutes to go in the contest.
Young totaled 30 points with 12 assists, including 13-15 from the free-throw line. He also only committed three turnovers. The Hawks had seven players in double digits. Bogdanovic scored 18, and Collins put up 15 points. Clint Capela overpowered Detroit on the glass, grabbing 16 rebounds with 12 points, and Saddiq Bey had a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. A.J. Griffin shot an efficient 4-8 from the field for 11 points, and Hunter scored 12 points.
Bagley led the way for Detroit with 31 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and three steals. Hayes dropped 21 points, while Ivey had 17.
Atlanta desperately needed to rally together after the defeat on Sunday. They now travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday. Last week, the Wolves blitzed the Hawks in the first half, but Atlanta seeks revenge as they enter the final 10-game stretch of the regular season.
