Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons: Final Score Predictions For Tonight's Game

Can the Hawks get the win over the Pistons tonight?

Jackson Caudell | Feb 23, 2025

Feb 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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After losing to the Orlando Magic in their first post All-Star break game, the Atlanta Hawks are back at home tonight to face the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are 2-1 against the Hawks this season and could clinch the season series with a win tonight. Not only that, but the Pistons are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winners of five straight and they have surged into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta comes into tonight's game four games back from Detroit and if they lose this game to fall five games back and lose the season series (tiebreaker), it would be really hard for the Hawks to catch them. If Atlanta wants to find a way to stay out of the play-in tournament, they need a win tonight.

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 8th in the NBA in PPG, 17th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 22nd in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 10th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 18th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 11th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 5th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 26th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 16th in three-point attempts allowed, and 26th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 15th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Detroit ranks 13th in PPG, 13th in FG%, 18th in 3PA, 16th in 3P%, 25th in FTA, 7th in rebounding, and 23rd in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Detroit ranks 15th in points per 100 possessions, 14th in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding rate, and 23th in free throw rate.

Defensively, the Pistons are 16th in PPG allowed, 15th in FG% allowed, 11th in 3PA allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pistons are 10th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 16th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Trae Young is coming off of a 38-point performance vs the Magic, but he was the only player who was having any offensive success on Thursday night. Young has played well vs the Pistons in two of the three matchups this year, but Ausar Thompson has also defended him well at times. Other guys will have to step up around him.

Dyson Daniels had 10 points and 11 rebounds vs the Magic on Thursday, but shot 3-15 and it was one of his worst offensive performances of the year. Daniels will not only need to bounce back on that end of the court, but he will also be tasked with guarding Cade Cunningham, which is certainly not easy.

Speaking of poor shooting performances, Zaccharie Risacher had his worst game of the month vs the Magic, shooting 4-15 and unable to finish at the rim, like Daniels. The good news was that he was 3-5 from three and continues to hit his shots from deep.

Mouhamed Gueye has been getting the starts at power forward, but not playing starter level minutes. He had two points, two rebounds, and a blocked shot on Thursday. Gueye flashes his defensive potential at times but is not a consistent enough offensive player yet to be trusted with big minutes.

Onyeka Okongwu had 11 points and seven rebounds on Thursday vs Orlando and struggled with foul trouble early. He will face a tough rebounding matchup with Jalen Duren tonight.

Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Terance Mann, and Clint Capela are going to be the Hawks bench unit tonight, but Dominick Barlow did play well in a short seven minute stint on Thursday. LeVert is being tasked with running the Hawks offense when Young is off the floor and had 13 points on 6-13 shooting on Thursday. Niang had eight points and six rebounds while Mann had seven points and three assists. Capela struggled in his return to the floor, shooting 1-6 and missing several shots around the rim. The entire team could not hit shots around the rim and it cost them an important win against the Magic on Thursday. They have to be better tonight.

The two players who have given the Hawks the most trouble in their matchups with Detroit have been Cunningham and Malik Beasley. Beasley has scored at least 18 points off the bench in each of the three matchups this season and Cunningham went for 30 points and 14 assists in their last game against the Hawks. Can Atlanta finally slow them down?

Prediction

The Pistons have been a tough matchup for the Hawks all season and without Jalen Johnson, that might continue tonight. I think the Hawks are going to come out and play an inspired game after the way Thursday went and make no mistake, this is a game the Hawks need to win if they want to stay out of the play in. I think Young has another strong performance and both Daniels and Risacher bounce back from their performances on Thursday to help lead the Hawks to a win.

Final Score: Hawks 121, Pistons 116

Prediction

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