Pistons at Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have won six of the last seven games in which they have scored 100 or more points, and have an opportunity to continue flourishing offensively when they host the Detroit Pistons on Friday. While the Pistons have surrendered just 98.5 points per game, they are mired in the midst of a 1-6 stretch during which Detroit has allowed 109.4 points per contest.
The struggles continued Wednesday in a 119-94 loss to Milwaukee as the Pistons surrendered 62 points in the first half, while allowing the Bucks to shoot 57.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range. “We weren’t able to get consecutive stops on them and they dictated the pace all night,” Detroit forward Tobias Harris told reporters afterward. “We weren’t able to make a stand and enforce our will defensively.” The Hawks got just enough offense in downing the Knicks at home Wednesday, posting a 102-98 victory in which six players scored in double figures. “We just played better offensively,” Atlanta forward Thabo Sefolosha told reporters afterward, “hitting the open man and making shots.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (15-19): Harris – who leads Detroit in scoring at 16.3 points per game – scored 23 points in Wednesday’s loss and is averaging 23.3 points on 55.8 percent shooting from the field in three games since moving to the bench. Center Andre Drummond ranks among the league leaders in rebounding at 13.4 per contest and pulled down 17 rebounds in Monday’s upset victory of defending NBA champion Cleveland. Detroit allowed Milwaukee to hit at least 60 percent of its field-goal attempts in three of four quarters Wednesday.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (16-16): Center Dwight Howard is 15-of-18 from the field in two games since missing time with a back injury, averaging 18 points and 17 rebounds in those two contests. Point guard Dennis Schroder has been a consistent bright spot in his first season as starter, averaging 17.6 points and 6.2 assists. Guard Kyle Korver hit three 3-pointers off the bench Wednesday and is 9-of-21 from long range in his past four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Detroit hammered the Hawks 121-85 in Atlanta on Dec. 2, but are just 4-9 since.
2. Howard sits just behind Drummond in rebounding per game at 13.3, and ranks among the NBA leaders in field-goal percentage (64.7 percent).
3. Pistons G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is second on the team in scoring (14.4), but in December has four games with 20-plus points and five games with 10 points or less.