Cade Cunningham Outduels Trae Young in Atlanta Tonight as the Hawks Drop A Crucial Game vs The Pistons

The loss to the Pistons tonight is the Hawks third loss in a row and puts them at 26-31. Detroit now wins the season series vs the Hawks and moves further ahead of them in the standings

Jackson Caudell | Feb 23, 2025

Feb 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) and forward Georges Niang (20) cause turnover against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

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The Atlanta Hawks came into tonight's game vs the Detroit Pistons in need of a win for lots of different reasons. If they lost, the Pistons would win the season series, own the tiebreaker over the Hawks and move further ahead of them in the standings. This was a crucial game for the Hawks, but they fell short tonight at home. The Pistons got a monster performance from Cade Cunningham and a great shooting night from their offense to beat Atlanta in a high-scoring shootout 148-143.

As great as Cunningham was, Trae Young was almost just as good. Young finished the game with 38 points and 13 assists tonight and shot 10-24 from the field. The Hawks also got their biggest game from Georges Niang (27 points on 7-14 from three) and a huge game on both ends from Dyson Daniels (24 points, six assists, four steals, and five rebounds). Zaccharie Risacher brought a lot of energy and also scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. The Hawks shot 50% from the field and 47% from three, which is normally good enough for a team to win, except that the Pistons were just as good on that end of the floor.

Cunningham scored 38 points (29 points in the first half) and handed out 12 assists as well. Malik Beasley, who has had big performances against the Hawks this season, scored 24, including a big second half to help the Pistons win. Detroit shot 59% from the field and 50% from three. They have won six in a row and are arguably the hottest team in the NBA.

The Hawks don't have long to get over this loss. They will host the Miami Heat tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. ET, another game between two teams close in the standings. Will Atlanta get a win and snap this losing skid? They need too quickly.

The Hawks kept with the same starting five of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Mouhamed Gueye, and Onyeka Okongwu. The Pistons also had their usual starting five of Cade Cunningham, Tim Hardaway Jr, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren.

It was a battle of the two start point guards in the first quarter, but Atlanta saw some of their issues from Thursday's loss to the Magic reoccur. Atlanta did a poor job of shooting at the rim and on two points shots in general on Thursday and it cost them the game. In the opening quarter of tonight's game, Atlanta was 6-17 (35%) on twos while the Pistons were 9-16. Atlanta's overall offense was shaky, but they had Young scoring at an efficient level. Young was 3-4 from the field (1-1 from three) and 3-3 from the free throw line for 10 points. The Hawks were shot 37% from the field and 40% from three in the first quarter and trailed 33-30.

GOT 'EM 🌰🥶 pic.twitter.com/ScYSJB2j9V
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 23, 2025

The Hwawks defense started off well, but Cunningham got going and scored 11 in the opening quarter. The Pistons shot 52% from the field and 46% from three.

Atlanta started the second quarter strong though. An 8-2 run gave the Hawks a 38-35 lead, but the rest of the second quarter was about how the Hawks could not stop Cunningham and the Pistons offense. Detroit started to seize control of the game in the second quarter thanks to a dominant first half from their superstar point guard. In the second quarter alone, Detroit shot 73% from the field and were 7-10 from three. Cunningham was 7-8 (3-3 from three) in the quarter and scored 18 points. The Hawks had four players in double digits at the end of the first half, but it did not seem to matter because of how poor their defense was. The Pistons led 76-68 at the end of the first half and the Hawks were scrambling for answers for how to try and slow Cunningham down.

In the first half, the Hawks shot 43% from the field and 40% from three. Young (16 points and five assists), Niang (13 points), Risacher (11 points), and Okongwu (10 points) were all in double figures.

Detroit shot 61% from the field and 57% from three in the first half, with the second quarter doing a lot of boosting up for those numbers. Cunningham finished with 29 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds on 11-16 shooting from the field and 6-8 from three.

One leg runner 3, easy money 💰 pic.twitter.com/lIEyNuYKbo
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 24, 2025

It was clear that the Hawks were going to sellout and try to stop Cunningham after the break and they did that. Atlanta was sending double teams at Cunningham to start, but he did find an open Hardaway Jr for three, but Atlanta caught him with a triple team one possession later and got a steal then a three from Young to cut the Pistons lead to 81-79. However, Detroit responded with a 6-0 run to get their lead back to eight points.

Atlanta kept battling though and both teams were going back-and-forth in the 3rd. Atlanta looked like they might take the lead after cutting it to 101-97, but a 10-3 run for the Pistons took the momentum away from the Hawks. Despite slowing down Cunningham in the 3rd, the Hawks trailed 112-103 going into the final quarter. The Pistons were only 3-10 from three, but shot 64% from the field in the quarter.

The Hawks were angling to get back in this game and to their credit, they did. Atlanta cut the lead to 126-122 with 6:36 and then when it looked like the Pistons were going to seize control of the game, Atlanta did battle back.

Trailing by eight with under four minutes to go, Risacher hit a big three-pointer to cut the lead to five with 3:49 left and after a Detroit miss, Okongwu dunked it to cut the lead to three.

Preposterous Trae pass 🥽🥽 pic.twitter.com/COdNNWmTWH
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 24, 2025

Trying to halt the momentum, Detroit called a timeout. They ran a play for Beasley afterward and he missed, giving the Hawks a chance to tie it. Daniels was fouled on the other end, but could only split the pair of free throws and it was 135-133. Daniels was one of the main reasons the Hawks were able to get back in the game and after splitting the free throws, he got a steal and a bucket to tie the game 135-135.

Atlanta had all the momentum but a theme throughout this game was the Pistons answering anytime the Hawks got momentum. After Daniels bucket, Thompson dunked it on the other end to make it 137-135, but then Young responded with a deep three to give the Hawks the lead.

Trae for the lead BANGGGGG pic.twitter.com/LFFBSqBj1c
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 24, 2025

Right after Young grabs the lead though, Cunningham gets it back for the Pistons on the other end. Daniels then got it back for the Hawks and after a miss from Tobias Harris, it appeared as though Atlanta was going to have a chance to put a dent in the game. Leading 140-139, Young missed a shot and then Dennis Schroeder hit a bucket off the glass and got fouled. He nailed the free throw to complete the three-point play and the Pistons led 142-140. The Hawks turned it over on the next possession and that was that. The Pistons made their free throws and did not allow the Hawks to have a chance to tie or win the game. Despite scoring 40 points in the fourth quarter, the Hawks lost to the Pistons 148-143 thanks to a big night from Cade Cunningham and a huge second half from Malik Beasley.

This is a tough loss for the Hawks. It is their third straight loss, it gives the season series to Detroit, and it puts the Pistons five games ahead of the Hawks in the standings. Atlanta is now 26-31 and will face the Miami Heat tomorrow night at home.

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