Hawks-Pistons Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Jan 03 2013 11:46PM

The Atlanta Hawks defeated Detroit in double overtime last week, but that loss has spurred the Pistons' longest winning streak of the season.

To extend its run to four, Detroit will have to knock off the Hawks at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday night.

The Pistons (12-22) have dropped six of the last seven in this series, including a 126-119 setback in Atlanta on Dec. 26. They've since won the first three of a five-game homestand, beginning with last Friday's 10-point victory over Miami.

Detroit's offense has clicked during the winning streak, shooting 52.4 percent and averaging 102.7 points - 8.3 more than its average in the first 31 games. The bench has been crucial, with Austin Daye hitting a 3-pointer with 11.5 seconds left to help seal a 103-97 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday. Daye and Will Bynum scored 13 and 15 points off the bench, respectively, and the team's entire reserve unit combined for 44.

Detroit's bench is averaging 47.0 points since Dec. 28, ranking fourth in the league. After averaging 5.4 points in his first 20 games, Bynum is putting up 19.8 in his last four contests - including a season-high 31 against the Hawks.

"Everybody chipping in and there is a lot of balance," said starting point guard Brandon Knight, who ranks second on his team with 14.1 ppg and is tied for the team lead with 4.6 assists. "I have to congratulate my teammates for the way we've been playing together and how guys have been stepping it up and really doing their part. I think that is what is getting us a boost, especially our second unit, so we definitely have to congratulate those guys."

Rookie Andre Drummond has also emerged lately as he receives more playing time. Drummond is averaging 9.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over his last six games with the Pistons winning five times. The ninth overall pick in June's draft, Drummond was expected by some to make slower progress after averaging 10.0 points and 7.6 rebounds as a freshman for Connecticut last season.

"I'm not getting as fatigued anymore," Drummond told the Pistons' official website. "I'm getting a lot more used to the game. It's starting to come a little easier. I know the pace of the game."

The Hawks (20-10) are 3-1 since their first meeting with Detroit and also boast an offense playing well of late, particularly in terms of 3-point shooting. Atlanta is shooting 45.1 percent from beyond the arc while making an average of 11 3-pointers over its last five games.

The Hawks are also 5-1 since Lou Williams' insertion in the starting lineup. Williams is averaging 16.8 points in those games while hitting 42.1 percent of his 3-point attempts.

"Lou has done a phenomenal job since I've inserted him in the starting lineup," coach Larry Drew told the team's official website. "He's a guy that can score. ... We'll stay with that. It's been working for us so there's no need to change that."

John Jenkins, Atlanta's own first-round pick, has also been a stronger contributor lately. He only played in 11 of the team's first 26 games but is averaging 9.3 points over his last four while playing 17.0 minutes.

"I have to do a better job of getting him in games and getting him more playing time because when he gets in games he affects the game," Drew said. "The guy can make shots, he's good off the dribble, he can get to the basket."

Atlanta's Josh Smith, who averages a team-high 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds, had 31 points and 10 boards in the first meeting with the Pistons.

Pistons hold on for 85-84 win over Hawks

Posted Jan 04 2013 11:24PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) For the first third of the season, the Detroit Pistons kept finding new ways to lose games in the fourth quarter.

They almost did it again on Friday night.

Detroit blew a 19-point lead, but Atlanta had a potential tying shot changed by the officials in the final seconds and Andre Drummond got a piece of Lou Williams' shot as time expired, preserving an 85-84 victory for the Pistons.

Detroit held a double-digit lead for most of its fourth consecutive victory, but Atlanta put together a 16-0 run to close to 83-82 with 3:13 to play.

"I told our guys that if we kept hanging around, we would give ourselves a chance at the end," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "We didn't play well for three quarters, but we got it rolling in the fourth. We just came up a little short."

The Pistons scored two points in the final seven minutes - Rodney Stuckey's layup to end Atlanta's run - but the Hawks couldn't complete the comeback.

Atlanta thought it had tied the game on a 3-pointer by Al Horford - his first in 22 months - but a replay review showed his right toe was touching the line. That left the Pistons up 85-84, but Tayshaun Prince threw away the inbounds pass to give the Hawks another chance.

Atlanta wanted to get the ball back to Horford, but he didn't have a shot. He flipped the ball to Williams in the corner, but Drummond jumped at him for the clutch defensive play.

"I was just trying to get something toward the rim," Williams said. "I knew the clock was running down, and I just wanted to get something up that would count if it went in."

The 6-foot-11 Drummond figured his size was bound to intimidate Williams, even if he couldn't get to the ball.

"Not too many people have a 6-11, 275-pound person running at them," he said.

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank was happy with the victory, but worried that his team was slipping back into the mode that saw it blow numerous big leads in a 7-21 start.

"Obviously, we're going to have to be sharper and better down the stretch," Frank said. "We did a good job in the paint and a good job on the boards, but there is a lot to clean up after this one."

The Pistons have won six of seven overall, with the only loss coming in double overtime at Atlanta. The second unit has powered the surge, outscoring the starters in several games. The reserves outscored Atlanta's backups 41-14 on Friday, led by Austin Daye's season-high 20.

"We're playing really well as a unit right now," Daye said. "I think the starters are feeding off of us, and we're feeding off of them."

Greg Monroe added 18 points and nine rebounds for Detroit. Jason Maxiell had 10 points and 10 boards.

"We pretty much owed them one from the last time at their place," Maxiell said. "We tried to get low and bang - get a little more physical."

Josh Smith had 20 points for Atlanta, while Horford had 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Daye dominated the first half, hitting his first seven shots on the way to 16 points and powering Detroit to a 51-36 lead.

"My teammates did a great job of finding me early, and then Coach started running a few plays for me," said Daye, who only moved back into the rotation in mid-December. "It just feels great to be out there."

Smith had 14 at the break for the Hawks, but Atlanta only shot 36 percent in the half and missed 12 of its 14 3-point attempts. Smith then picked up his fourth foul in the opening seconds of the third quarter and aggravated a hip pointer, decreasing his effectiveness at both ends of the floor.

"Josh said he could still go, but when we got down 17 late in the third, I got him out of there," Drew said. "After that, when the guys were making a run, I didn't want to change things. I did put Josh out there for the last possession, though. He wanted to be out there."

The Hawks got their offense going after halftime, hitting four 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the third, but still struggled to get any stops. Atlanta closed to 66-55, but Maxiell turned Detroit's 12th offensive rebound into a three-point play and a 14-point advantage.

Detroit struggled down the stretch and Atlanta within single digits with five minutes to play. Korver and Williams then hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it a one-point game and set up the dramatic finish.

NOTES: The Pistons, desperate to build on one of the smallest attendances in the NBA, held a Star Wars promotion with Billy Dee Williams as the special guest. Other games have featured halftime concerts by Gladys Knight, MC Hammer and Sheila E. ... The Hawks didn't get a field goal from their backups until Zaza Pachulia's basket with 10 minutes to play. Detroit's reserves had 32 points by that point. ... Drummond picked up a fourth-quarter technical for pushing away Pachulia while they battled for a rebound.

Notebook: Pistons 85, Hawks 84

Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:42 PM - Updated Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:42 PM

THE FACTS: Reserve forward Austin Daye scored a season-high 20 points as the Detroit Pistons won their fourth straight game with an 85-84 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday. Greg Monroe had 18 points and nine rebounds and Jason Maxiell contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who led by 17 with seven minutes left and barely hung on. Josh Smith led the Hawks with 20 points and Al Horford supplied 18 points and 15 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "I went through a lot. It's tough to always stay confident but I told myself I can play this game at a high level. Even last year, I wasn't playing a whole lot. To play now with (other) guys that weren't playing like Charlie (Villanueva) and Will (Bynum), for us three it's a blessing. I just look at it as 'Hey, I got an opportunity and I'm taking advantage of it.'"
-- Daye on his hot shooting after being benched for 21 games.

THE STAT: 75-52. The Pistons haven't made things easy on themselves during the hot streak. They have been outscored in the fourth quarter 75-52 in the last three games. Atlanta outscored them 22-11 in the final quarter Friday as they shot 5-for-20 from the field and made five turnovers.

TURNING POINT: The Hawks had two chance to win it in the final six seconds. Horford made a perimeter shot that was originally ruled a tying 3-pointer. After an officials' review, Horford was deemed to have a toe on the line. In the final second, Lou Williams had a corner shot partially blocked by Detroit center Andre Drummond.

QUOTABLE II: "We just got away from our defensive principles. We kind of got spread out and Lou Williams hit some tough shots and then their guys kind of got it going. As a team, we lost our defensive principles, what we need to do to help each other and communicate."
-- Monroe on the Pistons' near collapse.

HOT: Detroit's red-hot bench continued to dent the Hawks. In a double-overtime loss at Atlanta on Dec. 26, the Pistons got a franchise-record 85 points from their bench. The reserves made the difference in the rematch, as Detroit had a 41-14 advantage in bench points. It had been outscoring opposing reserves by an average of 5.7 points entering the game.

NOT: Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague had a rough night, scoring five points on 2-for-9 shooting. He also committed a team-high five turnovers, though he did dish out nine assists. He is shooting 8-for-34 from the field in the last three games.

ROOKIE WATCH: Along with his game-saving block, Drummond had six points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes as he continued his push to make the All-Rookie First Team. Detroit guard Kyle Singler was limited to two points in 16 minutes.

NOTABLE: Kyle Korver made the 1,200th 3-pointer of his career in the third quarter. ... Rodney Stuckey, who missed the previous three games with a left ankle sprain, had 10 points. ... Smith only played six seconds in the fourth quarter after aggravating a hip injury in the first half. ... Hawks guards Devin Harris (sore left foot) and Anthony Morrow (right hip strain) and center Johan Petro (flu) did not make the trip. ... Atlanta has a 9-6 road record, second-best among Eastern Conference teams. ... ... Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva, who was ejected and then fined $25,000 by the league for a flagrant foul against Sacramento's Isaiah Thomas on Tuesday, went scoreless. He had made at least three 3 -pointers in five straight games. ... The Hawks are 5-2 with Williams in the lineup.

UP NEXT: For the Hawks, Saturday vs. Boston, Tuesday @ Minnesota, Wednesday @ Cleveland. For the Pistons, Sunday vs. Charlotte, Friday @ Milwaukee, Saturday vs. Utah.

• Hawks: Harris
• Pistons: Kravtsov, Middleton

• Hawks: --
• Pistons: Drummond

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #7 Kevin Fehr, #15 Bennett Salvatore, #59 Gary Zielinski
• Attendance: 14832
• Duration: 2:13