Hawks vs Detroit

The positive aspect about the start was Jeff Teague’s aggressiveness. On the opposing side, Detroit played with the same intensity and answered shots while grabbing offensive and defensive boards. The Hawks trailed the Pistons by four with 3 minutes left in the first quarter. Reggie Jackson came with a three-point play and the Hawks down five until Dennis drew the foul driving to the basket. Coach Bud went with Hack-A-Drummond on Andre Drummond with two minutes left in the 1st quarter. It proved useful even though Drummond went 3/6 at the line, but the Hawks took the lead with 1:09 on the clock. Dennis had a hot start and the 11-point quarter to put the Hawks up one at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter started with Lamar Patterson’s third foul and a three-point play from Marcus Morris. It was followed by a circus shot from Kent for the and-1 play. Aron Baynes was fouled on a shot attempt to head to the line and then Drummond with the strong post move on Al Horford, and the Pistons went up four with 9:02 to go in the 2nd quarter. Hack-A-Drummond with 8:33 to go in the 2nd quarter. A Mike Scott three and Al Horford midrange jumper put the Hawks up three. Dennis hit Paul Millsap with the no-look assist for the three ball. These sequences were followed by Tiago with back-to-back hook shots, and the Hawks went up 52-42. Offense just flowing ever-so-nicely for the Hawks as they’d go up 13. Jeff with the steal and one-handed dunk and then a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope three to slow down the Hawks run. The guard play for the Hawks was spectacular as Jeff Teague had a line of 13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals at the half.

Hawks were off and running in the third quarter as they went up 20 points. Jeff Teague continued with an impressive line with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris were keeping the Pistons alive as Morris scored in the paint to make the lead 74-55 with 6:06 left in the third. Morris found Drummond under the basket for the dunk, Hawks 78, Pistons 60 with 3:55 to go. Hack-a-Drummond was enacted with 2:39 on the 3rd quarter clock. Hawks led 82-67 at the end of the third.

A little exchange of buckets to begin the fourth. Drummond playing clean-up around the basket to keep Detroit in a somewhat “reachable” distance, 90-74 with 8:50 on the clock. The fatigue of it being the second game of a back-to-back could have been showing for Detroit. Hack-A-Drummond enacted with 8:50 left. The exchange of baskets started again, Drummond had 21 points but the Hawks still led 98-82 with 5:49 left in the game. Detroit made it an 11-point game with less than four minutes left off of the leadership of Reggie Jackson but Jeff Teague wouldn’t let them get too close as they kept trading buckets. A Reggie Jackson three and Drummond bucket made it an 8-point game. The Hawks would go on to beat Detroit, 107-100.