Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks
· National Basketball AssociationJalen Johnson has 28 points, 14 rebounds, Hawks clinch play-in berth with 121-113 win over Pistons
“It is always good to have an opportunity to play in the postseason,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “If we’re ninth, 10th, sixth, whatever it is. Hopefully we can continue to get better and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
De’Andre Hunter scored 26 points and Dejounte Murray finished with 24 points and 11 assists for the Hawks, who have won six of their last seven games.
Flynn, whose previous career high was 27, was 18 for 25 from the floor and 9 for 12 at the line. The 50 points was a franchise record for a reserve. He also had a season-high six rebounds, five assists and five steals in 34 minutes.
The Pistons have lost 10 of their last 11 games.
“Right now, its tough because at the end of the day you want to win,” Flynn said. “But it does feel good to kind of take in the moment. I’m sure a couple of days from now, it will feel really good.”
Jalen Duren and Marcus Sasser had 11 points each for the Pistons.
Johnson's 11 assists were a career high. His best was a second-quarter alley-oop to Murray that capped a fast break and led to a Pistons timeout.
“He’s a basketball player,” Snyder said. “He can shoot, pass, handle. He doesn’t predetermine what he is going to do. ... He played a really, really impressive game.”
Cade Cunningham, who averages 22.7 points per game, was a late scratch with left knee injury after initially being listed in the starting lineup for Detroit.
The Hawks were 1 for 11 from 3-point range to start the game, but still managed to build a 59-50 halftime lead. Every time the Hawks started to pull away, Flynn helped the Pistons respond with buckets from all over the floor.
“He was making contested shots and he got to the foul line, which got him going,” Snyder said. “We tried to get more aggressive on him and impact him, and he still made plays. He played great.”
The Pistons pulled to within five points late in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Visit the Grizzlies on Friday night.
Hawks: At the Mavericks on Thursday night.
Regular Season Series
ATL wins series 3-0
Matchup Prediction
Recent Plays
4th 0.0 | End of Game | 113 - 121 | |
4th 0.0 | End of the 4th Quarter | 113 - 121 | |
4th 5.2 | Jalen Johnson defensive rebound | 113 - 121 | |
4th 10.1 | Evan Fournier misses 26-foot three point jumper | 113 - 121 | |
4th 13.0 | Pistons Full timeout | 113 - 121 |
Statistics
DET | ATL | |
---|---|---|
43-94 | FG | 49-90 |
45.7 | Field Goal % | 54.4 |
10-30 | 3PT | 13-38 |
33.3 | Three Point % | 34.2 |
17-21 | FT | 10-15 |
81.0 | Free Throw % | 66.7 |
37 | Rebounds | 48 |
8 | Offensive Rebounds | 6 |
29 | Defensive Rebounds | 42 |
24 | Assists | 36 |
14 | Steals | 9 |
3 | Blocks | 8 |
10 | Turnovers | 16 |
0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
10 | Total Turnovers | 16 |
0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
11 | Points Off Turnovers | 16 |
25 | Fast Break Points | 13 |
54 | Points in Paint | 52 |
13 | Fouls | 13 |
1 | Largest Lead | 22 |
Game Information
Location: Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 17,899 · Capacity:
2023-24 Southeast Standings
TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orlando | 47 | 35 | .573 | - | W1 |
Miami | 46 | 36 | .561 | 1 | W2 |
Atlanta | 36 | 46 | .439 | 11 | L6 |
Charlotte | 21 | 61 | .256 | 26 | W1 |
Washington | 15 | 67 | .183 | 32 | L6 |
NBA News
Oakley stands firm on nixing invite to MSG until he gets Dolan apology
Retired New York Knicks star Charles Oakley says no thanks, he won't step foot in Madison Square Garden.
Mavericks' Luka Doncic (knee, ankle) questionable for Game 3
Luka Doncic is questionable for Game 3 of the Mavs' series against the Thunder with knee and ankle issues.
Sources: Agreement between Budenholzer, Suns expected soon
Mike Budenholzer is closing in on a deal to become the Suns' next coach, and a formal agreement is expected to be in place soon, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.
Draymond calls the Knicks' playoff run a 'fluke'
Draymond Green compares the Knicks' playoff run to the Hawks in 2021 and Blazers in 2019 as flukes.
NBA playoffs betting: Three bets for Friday
Eric Moody breaks down his top betting picks for Friday's two playoff games.