The Pistons join the NBA’s elite as Cade Cunningham hammers the Hawks

The The Detroit Pistons continued their streak of momentum with another road win. Their 114-104 win over the Atlanta Hawks put them among the top seed in the NBA. The double-digit victory marked their most wins of nine since January, tying them with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Detroit officially moved ahead of Atlanta for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 23-21 record. Guardian of the franchise Cade Cunningham said he wanted to finish the season ranked sixth or better on NBA on TNT. The Pistons are on track to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2019.

The Hawks trailed by as many as 22 points against the Pistons on their floor. Detroit’s lead was down to ten late in the fourth quarter due to sloppy play on offense. Coach JB Bickerstaff spoke to the media after the victory the importance of free play with leadership to close the game.

“There’s an understanding of what’s at stake, and there’s an understanding of who we are.” “This team is at its best when we’re having fun,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s a lesson to be learned about having too much fun, and that’s where I thought we ended the game.” We could have been a lot more reasonable with some of the decisions and plays we were trying to make. When this team plays with collective joy, we have a chance to win basketball games.”

Defensive focus leads Detroit Pistons to victory

Bickerstaff emphasized the necessity of being a defensive-oriented club play winning basketball. The Pistons put on one of the team’s best defensive efforts against the Hawks by holding them to 37.9 percent from the field and 15.8 percent from 3-point range. Point guard Tree Young was limited to one of his quietest games of the year, with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 shooting from 3. Bickerstaff gave some insight into where he deserves the most credit for his defensive focus.

“It started with Ausar (Thompson). To start the game, I thought Ausar did a great job, and during his minutes he used his length, using his size to make it difficult for him. When you’re guarding a guy like that, it’s never a one-on-one job,” Bickerstaff explained. “The big boys have to be in their places to contribute; they have to be early. It’s a five-man job and I thought our guys did a great job.”

The Pistons were able to capitalize on defensive stops with efficient scoring on the other end to build their lead. Detroit shot 50 percent from the field against Atlanta, hitting 42 of 84 shots from the field.

Cunningham continues to grow with a dominant game, scoring 29 points, eleven assists, six rebounds and two blocks. The 6-foot-7 point guard has been on a tear in January, averaging 26.1 points, 8.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 12 games. His dominance and team success could earn him serious consideration for January’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

Detroit produced a useful 43 points from its second unit against the Hawks. Guard Malik Beasley continued his hot shooting with 19 points in his role as the sixth man. Forward Simone Fontecchio contributed 13 points as a reserve off the bench.

The Pistons have seemed to hit it off since adding Thompson to the starting lineup. Thompson added 16 points and three steals to complement his elite-level defense guarding Trae Young. Center Jalen Duren was powerful with his 17th double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.