Hawks at Pistons
The Atlanta Hawks' season-long six-game road trip got off to a rousing start, and they will look to stay hot with a visit to Detroit on Monday. The Hawks improved to 2-0 since a relatively quiet trade deadline day after a 103-102 win at Milwaukee on Saturday. Al Horford scored with 5.9 seconds left as Atlanta finished a rally from 10 points down in the final six-plus minutes to claim its third straight road win and fifth victory in seven games overall.
If the Pistons learned anything over the weekend, it is that they are no match for Indiana, which trounced Detroit on Friday and Saturday nights. After a 32-point loss to the Pacers on the front end of the series, the Pistons scored a season-low 72 points in an 18-point setback at home on Saturday. Detroit had nine points in the first quarter, 19 in the second and finished with a 33.8 percent mark from the floor in completing an 0-4 season series with Indiana, all losses by double digits.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), Fox Sports Detroit
ABOUT THE HAWKS (31-23): Not many would consider the Hawks true title contenders, and there was wonderment over why the franchise didn't manage to trade away forward Josh Smith at the deadline, but they enter Sunday just two games out of the third spot in the Eastern Conference and are playing pretty good basketball. Against the Bucks, Horford had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Smith finished with 15 points, 13 boards and three steals as Atlanta evened its road record at 13-13. Atlanta made 14 of its 28 3-point tries and finished with 27 assists against 11 turnovers. One of the top passing teams in the league, it has dished out at least 26 assists in eight straight games.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (22-36): While Detroit was no match for Indiana this season, it has given Atlanta some fits. The Pistons rallied from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime at Philips Arena on Dec. 26 before falling in the extra session, and held on to top the Hawks 85-84 at home nine days later. In the finale of the season series, Detroit will be monitoring the situation regarding point guards Will Bynum and Brandon Knight. Bynum could face a suspension after getting ejected for throwing a punch at Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough on Saturday. Bynum scored a team-high 15 points in just 15 minutes off the bench prior to the incident. Knight remains day-to-day with a hyperextended right knee.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta is 13-2 when Horford and Smith both record double-doubles.
2. Bothered much of the season by foot and ankle issues, Hawks PG Devin Harris scored 21 points in a season-high 39 minutes Saturday. He made 4-of-5 3-pointers.
3. Because of the Knight injury (and potentially a Bynum suspension), Rodney Stuckey will continue to see more minutes at the point for Detroit along with Jose Calderon. Stuckey scored 11 points in Saturday's loss.
PREDICTION: Hawks 104, Pistons 97.