The Atlanta Hawks got off to a fast start but another poor third quarter proved to be the difference in an 86-85 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
After taking a 50-41 lead into halftime, Atlanta was outscored 26-12 in the third quarter to completely lose control of the basketball game. The Hawks trailed by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter before rallying to take an 85-84 lead on a Jeff Teague lay up with 36 seconds remaining. Tayshaun Prince's running hook shot in the lane put the Pistons back up 12 seconds later. Joe Johnson's desperation shot from the corner was no good and Josh Smith's follow attempt came after the buzzer.
Josh Smith scored a game-high 21 points but was just 8-19 from the floor and spent a large portion of the second half on the bench in foul trouble. Joe Johnson hit 6-12 shots for 18 points while Marvin Williams added 16 points. Ivan Johnson chipped in 10 points and five steals off the bench.
Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 20 points and Jason Maxiell added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Tayshaun Prince scored 17 including the game winner. Detroit hit 56 percent of its shots going 38-68 from the field. The Pistons hot shooting helped them overcome 20 turnovers in the game.
For more on this game Hawks fans should check out Peachtree Hoops and Pistons fans should join the conversation at Detroit Bad Boys. For more news and analysis from around the NBA head on over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.