Atlanta Hawks manage 94-79 win over Detroit Pistons
It took the Atlanta Hawks three quarters to get going in a big way, as they snapped their two-game losing streak by overcoming the Detroit Pistons 94-79, at Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday night.
Hitting a mix of bank shots, hooks and turnaround jumpers, Josh Smith had a game-high 27 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. Mike Bibby was also impressive for the Hawks with 17 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Marvin Williams had 15 points, while
guard Joe Johnson registered 14 points for Atlanta, who won their 34th game of the 2010-11 season.
Five players scored in double figures for Detroit but it was not enough to counter the combined efforts of the Hawks starters. Tracy McGrady was the Pistons top-scorer with 14 points and four assists in the home defeat. Charlie Villanueva scored 13 points,
while guard Rodney Stuckey came off the bench with 12 points for the Pistons, who dropped to 20-36 during the current season.
Match Analysis
The Pistons got off to a strong start in front of their home crowd, as they played the opening quarter offensively. With the help of three-pointers from Austin Daye and McGrady, Detroit managed to take a 27-20 lead into the second quarter.
The Hawks however, took charge of the contest in the second quarter, as they recovered from their mistakes by turning up their defensive intensity and continuing their balanced scoring attack. The Pistons though, still managed to take a 51-53 advantage into
the locker room.
The Hawks then extended their defensive play to the third quarter, as they went on an 8-0 run to convert the two-point deficit at half time into a 61-51 lead in the ninth minute of the third. The Pistons continued to struggle with turnovers and let their
shooting percentage dip heavily in the quarter, but their stellar rebounding kept them afloat. The Hawks took a 74-68 lead into the final stanza.
Atlanta Coach Larry Drew praised his side for stepping up their game at the right time. He said, "We went through a bad stretch into the second quarter, but we regained our composure, which is the sign of a good team. We gave up 17 points in the third quarter
and held them to 11 in the fourth.”
Detroit fought hard in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit in order to make the score a respectable one. However, the Hawks led by 15 points early in the fourth, and cruised to the win.
The 32-year-old Hawks guard, Mike Bibby said that although the Pistons got a strong start, they still tried to keep the contest under control with combined team efforts. He said "They broke out to the big lead, but we did not let down. We just wanted to
make the shots tougher for them. We are one of the top teams in the league when we help each other defensively."
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