Detroit Pistons Weekly: Closer To Keeping The Pick
By Adam McGee
Atlanta Hawks – Tuesday, April 8 (Philips Arena, Atlanta)
After beating the Celtics in their previous game, the Pistons entered Atlanta with the chance for a rare back to back victory. All signs pointed to that being easier said than done though. The Pistons had lost ten straight games in Atlanta, Josh Smith was absent due to injury, and the Hawks desperately needed to win for their playoff aspirations.
The Pistons set the right tone with a 35 point first quarter though, and they kicked on from there. They out-rebounded Atlanta, as could be expected against a team who lack in size up front. Perhaps more surprisingly, the Pistons shot better than the Hawks. The Pistons are the second worst ranked team in true shooting percentage, while the Hawks rank 9th.
The Pistons couldn’t handle Paul Millsap, who played well for the Hawks with 24 points and 12 boards for his usual double-double, but overall Atlanta was simply outplayed by Detroit. Both Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe had double-doubles, as despite a late Hawks rally, the Pistons took the win by a seven-point margin.