In a thrilling matchup on Friday night, the Detroit Pistons narrowly defeated the Atlanta Hawks with a final score of 122-121, thanks to Cade Cunningham’s late-game heroics. Cunningham completed his triple-double by contributing 22 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, while teammates Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris also tallied 22 points each for the Pistons.
The game saw a dramatic turn when Trae Young gave the Hawks their first lead at 121-120 with just 12.5 seconds remaining. However, Cunningham made a decisive drive and hit a hook shot in the paint, which allowed Detroit to recapture the lead. In a last-ditch effort, Young aimed to make a play by penetrating the lane and dishing out to Onyeka Okongwu, but Cunningham managed to block the shot just as time ran out.
Young had a standout performance for Atlanta, finishing with 35 points and 13 assists, and Jalen Johnson contributed 20 points. Despite falling behind by as much as 24 points in the first half, the Hawks displayed resilience and tied the game with Dyson Daniels’ floater with 3:36 left on the clock. However, Detroit responded swiftly with Harris draining a three-pointer, and Jaden Ivey following suit with a three-point play to push the score to 120-116 with 2:31 remaining.
Key observations from the game include Atlanta’s late-game support for Young, who had seven assists in the fourth quarter to accompany his scoring. Conversely, Detroit’s Cunningham faced difficulties in the first half, struggling to contribute offensively with only two points despite accumulating seven rebounds and nine assists.
A pivotal moment occurred when Detroit held a 99-88 lead early in the fourth. Larry Nance Jr. sparked a comeback for the Hawks with a powerful dunk and subsequently nailed a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to six points with 9:05 left in the game.
Though the Hawks outscored the Pistons 98-82 in the last three quarters, they were unable to overcome the significant 40-point first quarter that Detroit had established. Looking ahead, the Hawks will return home to take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, while the Pistons are set to host the Houston Rockets on Sunday afternoon.