Pistons down Hawks despite unorthodox travel to Atlanta

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Jan 22, 2025

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ATLANTA — Leaving Houston was an event for the Detroit Pistons. Due to an uncommon winter storm, the Pistons spent Monday night in Birmingham, Ala., before they arrived in Atlanta the following day. Before getting to Atlanta by bus, the Pistons made a pit stop at Buc-ee's.

An unorthodox travel schedule can typically cause a team's production to slip. But for the Pistons, it led to a decisive 114-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.

Wednesday's win improved the Pistons to 23-21 overall and 2-0 during their current five-game road trip. With this victory, the Pistons moved ahead of the Hawks for sixth place in the Eastern Conference after 44 games.

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren's off-the-glass alley-oop is a small example of the momentum the Pistons maintained throughout the night. The connection, made at the 9:28 mark of the third quarter, gave Detroit a 19-point advantage (77-58).

Throughout the game, the Pistons had several moments that showcased their dominance and effortless victory. Malik Beasley put on a show in his hometown, scoring 19 points, including five 3-point field goals, off the bench. He scored 13 points during the first half, which led to the Pistons leading 69-51 at halftime.

The Hawks began the night playing Cunningham aggressively but could not prevent the soon-to-be All-Star from putting together his seventh consecutive 20-point outing. Despite committing six turnovers, Cunningham scored 29 points while adding 11 assists, six rebounds, and a pair of blocks.

The Pistons' offensive performance was impressive, but their defensive production was vital. They limited Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young to his fifth-lowest scoring performance of the season.

He finished with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Ron Holland's block on Young midway through the fourth quarter led to Hawks fans booing their star guard. Amid Young's struggles, Dyson Daniels led Atlanta with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Clint Capela added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hawks cut their once 22-point deficit to 14 (105-91) with 5:30 left in the fourth quarter. Cunningham recorded a rebound and completed a full-court pass to Ausar Thompson, who converted an easy two-handed dunk. He added 16 points and three steals.

Observations and notes vs. Rockets

— Duren in foul trouble early: Two days after one of his best games of the season, Duren spent most of the game in foul trouble. He picked up two early fouls four minutes into the first quarter and spent most of the first half on the sideline. However, Duren did not allow his foul trouble to impact his performance. He stayed aggressive and ended the night with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

— Best performance from the bench unit?: Beasley was one of a handful of players who had an impressive performance off the bench. In fact, one could argue that the production the Pistons received from the reserves was their best performance of the season.

While each member of the starting five was sidelined, the Pistons took control of the game late in the first quarter with a 14-2 run. Several players contributed to Detroit's production from the reserve unit, including Simone Fontecchio, who scored 13 of the Pistons' 43 bench points. Isaiah Stewart led the team with 12 rebounds.

— Double-team leads to more facilitating: As one of the most prolific scorers in the league, the Hawks double-teamed Cunningham early in the first half. However, each time Atlanta doubled the former No. 1 pick, it allowed Cunningham to use his playmaking skills, leading to several open shots for his teammates. In the first half, Cunningham contributed five of the Pistons' 17 assists. Additionally, he provided a handful of hockey dimes due to the Hawks' defensive game plan.

Up next

The Pistons will travel to Orlando on Saturday night to continue their five-game road trip against the Magic. They will then head to Cleveland on Monday for a game against the Cavaliers. Tip-off between the Pistons and Magic is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Kia Center.

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