The Atlanta Hawks picked up a much-needed win against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. After a slow start, Atlanta dominated in the second half, winning by a final score of 130-105.
While it’s true that a win is a win, not all victories are worth writing home about. Detroit has the worst record in the NBA and was without second-year standout, Cade Cunningham. Below are our five most important takeaways from last night’s game.
Trae Young
Trae Young has had Detroit’s number all season. During Atlanta and Detroit’s back-to-back matchups in October, Young scored 35 and 36 points, respectively. Last night was another masterclass from the All-NBA point guard.
Young led Atlanta with 26 points, 13 assists, and zero turnovers. Even better, Young shot 60% from the field and 42.9% from behind the arc. Young’s uncharacteristic shooting slump is officially over.
Dejounte Murray
So far this season, Dejounte Murray has been the perfect Robin to Young’s Batman. Last night was an example of the All-Star backcourt at its best. Murray matched Young’s 26 points and dished out five assists for good measure.
Murray’s presence was most felt on the defensive end of the floor. Detroit had 14 turnovers, most of which can be traced back to Murray, who had four steals and played in space all night.
Clint Capela
After missing three games with a right calf strain, Clint Capela looked like he was shot out of a cannon in the first quarter of last night’s game. Atlanta’s big man finished the game with ten points, ten rebounds, and two blocked shots.
There was a scary moment when Capela exited the game with discomfort in his calf. However, after the game, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan dismissed the issue as a muscle cramp that was not serious.
Nate McMillan
McMillan continues to experiment with his lineups. Sometimes players can play outsized roles for a stretch of games and, at other times, get buried on the bench. One such example is second-year player Jalen Johnson who is out of the rotation at this time.
McMillan played Justin Holiday at the four after the veteran guard had previously been relegated to the third unit. The good news for people (myself included) who want to see Johnson get time on the floor is that McMillan’s rotations are never set in stone.
Defense
It is easy to look like world-beaters when dominating the worst team in the NBA. While the game should be taken with a grain of salt, it is worth applauding Atlanta’s defensive effort.
Detroit was held to 41.1% shooting from the field and 27.3% from three and finished the game with a 101.9 offensive rating. Over the past week, Atlanta’s defensive rating (112.3) has jumped from 18th to 13th in the NBA.
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