Coty Davis asks J.B. Bickerstaff about coming off the bench for first-place Pistons.
Coty Davis asks J.B. Bickerstaff about coming off the bench for first-place Pistons.
Atlanta — Cade Cunningham smoothly hit a step-back mid-range shot from the foul line at the 3:56 mark of the first quarter Tuesday night. During his first nine minutes of the game, it was the only time Cunningham looked like the player who scored a career-high 46 points on 45 shots against the Washington Wizards eight nights earlier. It also marked his return since suffering a hip injury in the same game that caused him to miss the last three contests.
Although it took some time, Cunningham returned to his All-NBA status to lift the Pistons to a 120-112 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.
He led the Pistons with 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and a pair of steals. The victory extended the Pistons’ winning streak to 11 and improved their record to 13-2.
“It was a tough fall I took. I had sprained my joint. It just took some time, especially with the way I play when trying to get into my bag,” Cunningham said. “It felt great to be back out there. It felt like it took a long time. It is good to be back.”
Cunningham’s return came up huge for Detroit late in the fourth quarter. The Pistons had experienced significant slippage to open the period, allowing the Hawks to cut their once 19-point deficit to two (108-106) after Nickeil Alexander-Walker connected on a pair of free throws with 1:36 left in the period.
Cunningham responded with a pull-up jumper on Detroit’s next offensive possession. After a defensive stop, he scored on a driving layup to extend the Pistons’ lead to six with 55 seconds left. Cunningham scored 15 points during the second half, preventing Detroit from giving up a wire-to-wire victory as the Hawks gradually chipped away at the lead.
“That’s what superstars do, and Cade is in that position of superstars. He thrives in the moments,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
Jalen Duren followed up his exceptional performance from Monday night against the Indiana Pacers with 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Duncan Robinson and Daniss Jenkins each added 14 points. Tobias Harris was questionable entering the night but stayed out for the ninth consecutive game. Harris last played during the Pistons’ 122-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 1 in Mexico City.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 120, Hawks 112
Johnson led the Hawks with 25 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals, while Alexander-Walker had 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field. Onyeka Okongwu added 21 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc.
“I’ll say it over and over again, we go as our defense goes,” Bickerstaff said. “There was a stretch there where we were not getting it done defensively. We were giving them too many opportunities. But once we decided to do what we do best, and that’s guard, it triggers our offense and gives us an opportunity to create some separation.”
Observations and notes
Ausar Thompson returns, but comes off the bench: Thompson returned from a right ankle sprain that had kept him out for four games. But instead of starting, Thompson came off the bench as the Pistons’ sixth man. Bickerstaff revealed that the decision was due to Thompson’s minutes restriction upon his return.
“You are always trying to juggle how to get him to play in the fourth quarter,” Bickerstaff said. “If you can eat up some early first-quarter minutes, with him on the bench, that pushes some of those minutes into the fourth.”
Thompson played 23 minutes, recording six points, three blocks and two rebounds. Bickerstaff’s plan proved helpful, as Thompson’s defense came up huge to hold off the Hawks’ late-game rally. At the 4:30 mark of the final period, Thompson recorded a massive block on Hawks’ Jalen Johnson, which led to a layup for Duren.
“I thought he was good,” Bickerstaff said. “He is a starter for us. Once we get him back to more minutes, we will be able to run him in longer stretches and he will be back into the starting lineup.”
Chaz Lanier ignites Pistons’ second-quarter run: Lanier provided a significant boost off the bench and set the tone that helped the Pistons win their 11th consecutive victory. After a mediocre first period, Detroit entered the second quarter with a five-point lead. However, the Pistons quickly found their rhythm, outscoring the Hawks 20-6 to open the second.
During their impressive run, Lanier had the most productive quarter of his young career, shooting 3-of-3 from beyond the arc for nine points. His play during the period earned him BTA honors (belt to the ass) during the team’s post-game celebration.
“It means a lot to have the belt. It is something that is respected and honored,” Lanier told The Detroit News. “It was a hard-fought, gritty win coming here, coming off a back-to-back against a good team. We are feeling good, and we have a lot more to accomplish.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
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