The Atlanta Hawks proceed to tumble within the standings with the commerce deadline looming. They will carry an eight-game dropping streak into their sport at Detroit on Monday evening.
Atlanta’s outlook for the rest of the season appears fairly completely different than it did two weeks in the past. Within the Hawks’ final victory, they received in extra time on Boston’s residence ground to maneuver three video games above the .500 mark. That was greater than two weeks in the past.
Not solely have they fallen within the win-loss column, they misplaced certainly one of their greatest gamers to a season-ending damage. The group introduced Wednesday that Jalen Johnson would require surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
The newest developments may persuade the entrance workplace to make alterations to the roster. To the credit score of the gamers who’re nonetheless enjoying, they’re combating.
The Hawks practically snapped their dropping streak at Indiana on Saturday. After Atlanta erased an 18-point deficit, the Pacers hit some key 3-pointers down the stretch and pulled out a 132-127 victory.
Trae Younger did all he may to maintain his group within the sport, racking up 34 factors and 17 assists. Younger’s 11.5 help common leads the league.
“This can be a group sport,” he mentioned. “I inform all people on a regular basis, you wish to be a person on this sport, you go play tennis, golf, all these different sports activities. This ain’t it. So I am gonna proceed to belief my guys and get them the ball.”
With Johnson out of the lineup, coach Quin Snyder is looking for a gradual alternative within the beginning lineup. Dominick Barlow, who’s on a two-way contact, bought the nod towards the Pacers and contributed 10 factors and three rebounds in solely 13 minutes.
“Truthfully, simply enthusiastic about enjoying,” he mentioned.
The Pistons have received the primary two contests of the four-game season collection towards the Hawks. All-Star Cade Cunningham recorded a triple-double and scored the game-winning basket within the first assembly, a 122-121 win on Nov. 8. He notched 29 factors and 11 assists in a 114-104 Pistons win on Jan. 22.
Most just lately, Cunningham led seven Pistons in double figures with 22 factors to go together with 15 assists as they defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 127-119 on Sunday afternoon.
The Pistons recorded 38 assists on 54 discipline objectives and scored 80 factors within the paint.
“All people is included and concerned and that makes all people really feel good,” ahead Tobias Harris mentioned. “That is what this group is about — having fun with the entire development of this season and who we have gotten as a bunch.”
The NBA’s worst group final season has a 25-24 file.
“We hold an underdog mentality,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned. “We’re conscious of what individuals’s expectations had been for us coming into the season and it would not change. Now we have to maintain that edge and that chip on our shoulder, so we do not permit ourselves to get comfy. We wish to play a method of basketball that is distinctive to the Pistons. We wish to make individuals uncomfortable once they come to play us and with a view to try this, you have to have that edge and that is what we’re attempting to keep up and deal with.”
–Subject Degree Media
