The Hawks had no problem with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, as Atlanta's 116-84 win moves the Hawks closer to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta has already clinched a playoff spot, so the focus is on fourth place and getting home-court advantage in the first round. The Hawks entered Wednesday 1/2 game behind the Boston Celtics for fourth and tied with the Orlando Magic. Those two teams are currently playing tonight.
Tracy McGrady led the Hawks with 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. With the game in hand for much of the night, five players on the Atlanta bench scored at least nine points. Ivan Johnson had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Among the starters, Joe Johnson scored 13 points in 22 minutes while Josh Smith had 12 points in 19 minutes. The Hawks shot 49.4 percent, while the Pistons shot 34.8 percent. Detroit has not won in Atlanta in more than four years and will have to wait until next season for another shot.
For more on this game Hawks fans should check out Peachtree Hoops and Pistons fans should visit Detroit Bad Boys. For more news and notes from around the NBA head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.