SB Nation Atlanta - Pistons Vs. Hawks: Mike Bibby, Josh Smith Spur Atlanta To 94-79 Win Over Detroithttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46601/atlanta-fave.png2011-02-14T22:20:30-05:00http://atlanta.sbnation.com/rss/stream/17567212011-02-14T22:20:30-05:002011-02-14T22:20:30-05:00Pistons Vs. Hawks: Mike Bibby, Josh Smith Spur Atlanta To 94-79 Win Over Detroit
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<p>Josh Smith's chip on his shoulder helped the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> to a much-needed rare win against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Detroit Pistons</a> at the Palace of Auburn Hills.</p>
<p>Smith had 27 points and 14 boards and Mike Bibby added 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 94-79 win over the Pistons on Monday night in suburban Detroit.</p>
<p>Marvin Williams had 15 points and eight rebounds off of the bench for Atlanta, which erased a 15-point second quarter deficit en route to notching just their second win in their last 11 games on the Pistons' home court.</p>
<p>"It feels good," Smith told the team's TV broadcast afterward. "It feels even better because we came into this building 0-5. We lost our last five games here."</p>
<p>The win couldn't have come at a better time for Atlanta, which dropped its last two games at the Highlight Factory in rather embarrassing fashion. The Hawks blew a 22 point lead in a 88-86 setback against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats">Charlotte Bobcats</a> on Saturday on top of a 117-83 setback to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> last Tuesday.</p>
<p>Luckily for Atlanta, they have a forward who wants to show the rest of the league that he deserves to be on the All-Star team that is backing up his words with his game.</p>
<p>"I'm making my point to prove my point to every Eastern Conference coach that I deserve to be in the All-Star Game," a candid Smith admitted.</p>
<p>The Hawks could also thank a reemergence of Bibby for the win in this one.</p>
<p>Detroit couldn't miss from behind the 3-point line early on in this one, connecting on six straight to start the game en route to building a a 41-26 lead with 7:28 remaining in the second with a reverse layup by Charlie Villanueva.</p>
<p>But Bibby and the rest of the Hawks found their three-point stroke as Atlanta chipped away at the lead, eventually taking a 53-51 edge on a bucket by Smith to end the half. Bibby, Atlanta's starting point guard, had 10 of his 17 points in the comeback.</p>
<p>Atlanta got some separation with an 8-0 run to start the third quarter and never looked back.</p>
<p>"I thought we did a great job," Hawks coach <span>Larry Drew</span> told reporters after the game. "We went through a bad stretch in the second quarter, but we regained our composure. That's the sign of a good team, especially on the road.</p>
<p>"(In the) second half, we defensively turned it up. ... It's a good win for us. It's a total team effort. We've been a successful road team and we need to continue."</p>
<p>Tracy McGrady had 14 points and Villaneuva added 13 off the bench for the Pistons, who have dropped four straight on their home court.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/2/14/1994312/pistons-vs-hawks-mike-bibby-josh-smith-spur-atlanta-to-94-79-win-ovePhil Foley2011-02-14T21:18:05-05:002011-02-14T21:18:05-05:00Pistons Vs. Hawks: Atlanta Gets Some Separation, Leads 74-68 Through Three
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Detroit Pistons</a> had trouble putting the basketball into the net the first half of the third quarter. As a result, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> opened up a bit of a lead.</p>
<p><span>Mike Bibby</span> is having one of his best games in recent memory, posting 15 points, six assists and five rebounds as the Hawks soared to a 74-68 lead through three quarters.</p>
<p>Atlanta scored the first eight points of the third to take a 61-51 lead before Detroit finally broke through on Tracy McGrady's 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining in the frame. The Hawks pretty much have maintained a 5-to-11 point edge thereafter.</p>
<p>Both teams are having success from beyond the arc in this one. Detroit is shooting 72-percent (10-for-14) through the first three frames, while Atlanta has connected on 7-of-13 from the 3-point line.</p>
<p>McGrady has 14 points and <span>Rodney Stuckey</span> has 12 for the Pistons, who look to defeat Atlanta for the 11th time in 12 games at the Palace of Auburn Hills.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/2/14/1994231/pistons-vs-hawks-atlanta-gets-some-separation-leads-74-68-throughPhil Foley2011-02-14T20:47:35-05:002011-02-14T20:47:35-05:00Pistons Vs. Hawks: Mike Bibby Rescues Atlanta From Down 15, Hawks Take 53-51 Lead Into Half
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<p>As <span>Mike Bibby</span> said during the halftime TV interview, this one was about the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> finally getting defensive stops. Of course, it also helps when you're knocking down just about every shot that you take.</p>
<p>Bibby had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists as the Hawks overcame a 15 point deficit to take a 53-51 lead into the third quarter. <span>Joe Johnson</span> and <span>Josh Smith</span> posted 11 points each for Atlanta, which shot a blistering 68-percent (21-for-31) from the field in the frame.</p>
<p>It seemed like once Atlanta withstood a barrage of Detroit 3-pointers, good defense lead to easy transition buckets and the Hawks were right back in the game.Detroit was 6-for-6 from behind the arc Seconds as <span>Charlie Villanueva</span> gave the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Pistons</a> a 41-26 lead with 7:28 remaining in the second with a reverse layup. But Atlanta's basketball team went to work. Folks like Bibby and Johnson were draining 3-pointers and the team continued sharing the basketball.</p>
<p>Atlanta dished assists on 15 of their 21 first half buckets as they chipped away at the lead. The Hawks finally got onto the right side of the scoresheet when Josh Smith banked in a shot with 33.8 seconds left in the half.</p>
<p>Villanueva posted a game-high 11 points and <span>Rodney Stuckey</span>, <span>Tracy McGrady</span> and <span>Austin Daye</span> had nine each for the Pistons, who have connected on 8-of-10 shots from behind the 3-point line.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/2/14/1994178/pistons-vs-hawks-mike-bibby-rescues-atlanta-from-down-15-hawks-takePhil Foley2011-02-14T20:11:01-05:002011-02-14T20:11:01-05:00Pistons Vs. Hawks: Atlanta Looks Better, But Still Trails Detroit 27-20 Through One Quarter
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> look a little bit better against the struggling <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Detroit Pistons</a> than they did in their past two ballgames. Nevertheless, this one is still too close for comfort.</p>
<p>The good news is that the Hawks are attacking the paint in this one. The bad news is that Detroit scored 18 of the last 23 points in the frame to take a 27-20 lead into the second quarter. The difference in scoring comes down to two things: 1) The Hawks are not as active as they should be on the Pistons side of the floor and 2) Atlanta has turned over the basketball and Detroit hasn't.</p>
<p>Atlanta actually has the edge in field goal percentage to start the game. They shot 62-percent (8-for-13) in the first frame while Detroit is firing at a 46-percent (10-for-22 clip). But the Pistons have been able to go inside and clean the glass, posting six offensive rebounds in the frame. The Hawks have seven total rebounds. Atlanta also leads a battle you never want to lead -- the battle of turnovers -- by a 5-0 margin.</p>
<p><span>Tracy McGrady</span> has a game-high nine points while <span>Rodney Stuckey</span> has seven for Detroit, which has won 10 of its last 11 against Atlanta on its home court.</p>
<p><span>Joe Johnson</span> gave Hawks fans one of their lone bright spots in this one, dishing an assist to Al Hoford early in the first to pass Dominique Wilkins for fifth place on the team's all-time assists list.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-hawks/2011/2/14/1994120/pistons-vs-hawks-atlanta-looks-better-but-still-trails-detroit-27-20Phil Foley2011-02-14T08:36:29-05:002011-02-14T08:36:29-05:00Pistons Vs. Hawks: Atlanta Tries To Stop Skid In The Motor City
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> are happy to hit the highway after their latest two debacles at Philips Arena. The Hawks embark on a seven-game road trip, sandwiched around the All-Star Break when they take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Detroit Pistons</a> at the Palace at Auburn Hills on Monday (7:30 p.m., SportSouth, 97.9 FM).</p>
<p>After taking 14 of 16 losses on its home court, Atlanta (33-20) has hit a lull at the Highlight Factory of late, suffering an embarrassing 117-83 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> last Tuesday before blowing a 22-point lead en route to dropping an 88-86 decision to the lowly <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats">Charlotte Bobcats</a>.</p>
<p>The Hawks hope to soar back into the win column against a foe that they have not had much success against in Michigan. Atlanta's basketball team has dropped 10 of its last 11 games in suburban Detroit, including a 103-80 setback there on Dec. 14.</p>
<p>Atlanta hopes the beginning of their long journey away from Philips Arena, which will be hosting the circus later this week, will be a fruitful one. However, in order to get there, coach <span>Larry Drew</span>'s team is going to have to learn a few things about winning basketball games.</p>
<p>When the Hawks are clicking on all cylinders, <span>Josh Smith</span> and <span>Al Horford</span> are attacking the post, dominating the paint and dictating the pace of the game. But in both of Atlanta's last two contests, the Hawks resorted to launching ill-advised jumpers instead of continuing the inside/out game that has made them one of the better teams in the East.</p>
<p>To make matters worse, Horford was out in Atlanta's embarrassing loss to the Sixers, but was back on Saturday night against the Bobcats. Even the Hawks' floor leader couldn't stop his team from pulling up and taking what the opponent's defense gave them instead of driving the lane and dictating the action.</p>
<p>Atlanta shot just 29p ercent in the second half as Charlotte overcame a huge deficit. Former Hawk <span>Stephen Jackson</span> secured the win with a jumper over <span>Maurice Evans</span> as the game clock hit all zeros.</p>
<p>The Hawks hope to take advantage of a pretty bad Pistons team, which has dropped three straight and five of their last six games on their home court. Detroit (20-35) is in the midst of a season-high five game homestand. They have lost the two on the stand, including a 105-100 decision to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/">Portland Trail Blazers</a> on Sunday.</p>
<p><span>Ben Gordon</span> had 18 points and <span>Will Bynum</span> added 15 for the Pistons as the bench outscored Detroit's starters, 57-43.</p>
<p>Atlanta heads to New York for its final game prior to the break before heading to Phoenix, Golden State, Portland, Denver and Los Angeles to open the second-half of the season.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2011/2/14/2329758/pistons-vs-hawks-atlanta-tries-to-stop-skid-in-the-motor-cityPhil Foley