The Atlanta Hawks advance to 3-0 on the season after a 128-120 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Phillips Arena on Monday night.
Trae Young had a stellar game as he finished with 29 points and six assists and helped seal the Hawks’ victory. Atlanta will need someone to close games in tight games, and Young looks best positioned to do so.
Another key to victory was Rajon Rondo. The veteran showed in his debut that he could run the second unit well. He finished with 12 points and eight assists in just 15 minutes of play.
When Rondo is in the game, the team plays well together, and his veteran leadership calms the team. His court vision and scoring allowed Atlanta to jump out to a big lead in the fourth quarter.
Assists and three-point shooting were contributing factors to Atlanta being able to score the ball so well. The team finished with 30 assists and shot 47% from three-point range. Although it has only been three games, the Hawks share the ball well and continue to impress.
Atlanta had another hot start and finished with 33 points in the first quarter.
Another bright spot: the Hawks continue to show the ability to score in bunches and jump out to big leads early in games.
Everyone contributed tonight as seven players finished in double figures for the Hawks. This team is loaded with depth and have all season to jell into their roles and put players in the best position to succeed.
Detroit Pistons were without Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, but that didn’t stop them from competing and taking the game down the stretch. Jerami Grant and Josh Jackson both finished with 27 points and hit key shots to keep Detroit in it.
The defense for Lloyd Pierce’s team helped keep Detroit in the game. After building a 20 point lead early in the fourth quarter, turnovers and putrid transition defense allowed the Pistons to cut the deficit and make Atlanta close them out. While closing games is still a work in progress, the Hawks have shown they are improving in this category, a welcoming sight to see.
It doesn’t get any easier going forward for Atlanta as they visit the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night.
