The Detroit Pistons were struggling after the All-Star break. They suddenly lost four games in a row for the first time all season, and then lost their All-NBA guard in Cade Cunningham. They had every reason to go into a true tailspin. Instead, the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 team has won seven of its past eight, including three in a row without Cunningham. The Pistons are coming off of a win against the team that was the hottest in the NBA in the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, they face the second-hottest
team in the NBA in the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks are winners of 13 of their past 14 games, and possess the league’s stingiest defense in that span. They share the basketball, have the second-best rebounding percentage, and force their opponent into turnovers better than anyone in the NBA in that span. That allows them to maximize defensive talent on the floor because, even if they are offensively limited, they can turn defense into offense via transition buckets and opportunities in the paint. Sound familiar? They are headed up by three capable scorers — Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, which allows others on the floor to focus on defense and finding gaps to create easy opportunities. There is going to be a huge premium on taking care of the ball, which the Pistons sometimes struggle with, and Daniss Jenkins is going to have a Lakers-like showing for Detroit’s win streak to continue.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -2
Projected Starters
Detroit Pistons (52-19)
Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Atlanta Hawks (40-32)
CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu
