Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Pistons Upset Hawks 113-110
Recap
One step forward, two steps back. It's been the story of the Hawks season.
An all-around awful game that was capped off by a bone-headed foul by Bogdan Bogdanovic that sent Cade Cunningham to the foul line with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
Unbelievably, the Pistons committed an equally atrocious foul on the other end of the floor that sent John Collins to the line where he hit 1-2 of free throws to tie the game 101-101. The Hawks limped into their first overtime game of the season, before being outscored 12-9 to lose the game 113-110.
This game should have never been so close. The Hawks defense hit a new low tonight when they allowed the third-worst offense in the league to get off. Rookie Cade Cunningham led the way with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
We're accustomed to bad defense, but the Hawks offense was equally abhorrent tonight. They shot 45.2% from the field and 28.9% from deep. Trae Young shot 5-20 (2-7 3PT) and ended with 14 points and 10 assists. One of the few bright spots tonight was John Collins' double-double and all-around hustle.
Back to the drawing board for the Hawks. What was the slogan the coaching staff unveiled after the trade deadline, 'Win The Race'?
Post-Game Interviews
Hawks head coach Nate McMillan said, "It's about finishing. Go back to regulation, we had opportunities to finish there as well as in overtime. Finishing is getting stops, executing offensively, and making shots."
McMillan credited the Pistons, "They play with a lot of energy. They are on the attack really for 48 minutes. We talked about that, so you prepare your team for it... We understand their record and all that, but you can't play the record. You have to play the game."
Trae Young sat at the podium in a maroon adidas hoodie and matching watch. The floor general blamed the team's offense and credited their defense as being good tonight.
"Not being able to score and push the ball, I don't think we had the right mindset coming into the game. I think we need to play a little bit faster. They switched a lot and I think we should have played a little bit faster and not let them get into the half-court game as much."
The Hawks next game is on the road, Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. As always, we will have plenty of content for you between now and then. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
Stats
Hawks Leaders
Bogdan Bogdanovic - 22 PTS, 6 AST
John Collins - 17 PTS, 11 REB
Trae Young - 14 PTS, 12 AST
Pistons Leaders
Cade Cunningham - 28 PTS, 10 REB
Jerami Grant- 23 PTS, 4 REB
Marvin Bagley III - 19 PTS, 10 REB
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