Pistons Run Atlanta Hawks Out Of LCA

After dropping a winnable game against Portland two nights ago, Detroit left no doubt against Atlanta, beating the Hawks 122-101. The Pistons ran away with it so emphatically that Atlanta head coach Nate McMillan pulled his starters with a large chunk of the fourth quarter remaining. 

It truly was a total team effort by Detroit. With Hamidou Diallo, Frank Jackson and Isaiah Livers out with injury, Dwane Casey played 10 players in total and eight of them scored in double figures. Jerami Grant led the way with 21, but Cade Cunningham's 17 and Kelly Olynyk's 16 off the bench were big totals as well. Isaiah Stewart was the only starter to chip in less than 10 points with eight, but he grabbed 10 rebounds and had at least three emphatic dunks on the night.

Cunningham once again stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. He was clutch all game long in terms of decision making and with his pace, which allowed players like Grant and Marvin Bagley III to find their spots and contribute efficiently. Killian Hayes also played another nice game with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists as he continues to evolve. Corey Joseph found himself in some early foul trouble, which allowed Killian to log 33 minutes — more than everyone not named Cade and Jerami. 

Head coach Dwane Casey talked about the execution on both ends of the floor, which is reflected in the 21-point margin of victory. Bagley also talked about how connected everyone felt and even talked about how special he thinks this team will be moving forward. You don't typically hear words like that about a team that's 20-53, but there is a feel with this young Pistons team. They've beaten some good teams this year and they are competitive quite often. It's still certainly a work in progress, but there are some nice things to build on heading into next year, especially with another lottery pick coming.