There were a few notes I had in mind pre-game. 1. How would the Detroit Pistons defend Atlanta Hawks star forward Jalen Johnson? He just erupted for 41 points in his last outing. It is always interesting to see how Detroit goes about slowing down stars. 2. How much would the 3-point disparity burn Detroit? Only the Rockets and Kings shoot 3s less than Detroit. 3. How much would Duren be used? He’s a tone setter. An involved Duren is a different Detroit team.
Neither team came out blazing in the 1st quarter; both squads failed to reach 30. Plays like Cade Cunningham’s emphatic block that led to an Isaiah Stewart eurostep defined the period. It was cool to see those two switch roles momentarily. Onyeka Okongwu hit a few 3s, but the Hawks man of the hour, Jalen Johnson, was contained through one.
Ausar Thompson ripped him clean early and set the tone for how the game would go. How the first half would go at least. The Pistons were ready to muddy this one up. Jalen Duren got physical in the first. He drew two fouls and delivered a mean crossover on the way to an And-1 off an offensive rebound.
Daniss Jenkins started this game and made an imprint in the second quarter. His shot was a bit off, but Jenkins’ rapid pace sped the game up, and he continuously found Duren in traffic. That Ron Holland and Jenkins combo off the bench is a load to deal with for second-stringers. You can’t put your hands on your knees with Holland on the floor; he was springing all over the Hawks for putback opportunities.
Caris LeVert continues to hit bailout shots. The Hawks got on a 6-0 run in the 2nd, and LeVert steps up and drains a big one to put Detroit up 1. LeVert can be erratic, but that fire cannon mentality will be needed in spots when Detroit needs a bucket. He’s the type of player who can win _a game_ in the playoffs, capitalizing off Cade drawing 2 to the ball.
Stew ran the floor and deflected shots at the rim like a madman before the break. His finishing at the rim stood out as he went 3-3 from 2-point range in the 1st half. Detroit dominated the glass, outrebounding Atlanta 37-20. Atlanta shot a smidge better from three, but only had seven turnovers to Detroit’s 13.
It was clear that the blitz Cade button was pressed at halftime for the Hawks. They swarmed the Pistons’ ball handler, and the team as a whole flipped possession after possession at the top of the third. It hadn’t cost Detroit because of their crippling defense on the other end. They got stops and were off to the races in transition.
The third quarter was a seesaw tit for tat affair. Jalen Johnson got going. He had an early dunk followed by a middy jumper, and he was ready to cook. The turnovers remained a thing for Detroit, but some of these were at least attempts to get a teammate involved, which can be worth it. Duren remained a presence in the paint, and Cade was letting the game come to him. He wasn’t pressing the issue, which led to a more distributive-driven Cade in this period.
Detroit’s defense to offense led the charge as they edged out the Hawks in the third. Cade got his hands on balls in transition in 1-on-1 situations multiple times. His effort and Holland’s sensational circus shot closed the 3rd, and Detroit led 74-68 headed into the fourth. That’s not a regular score you see in 2025.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker did his thing to help the Hawks. He tried wth 26 points and six 3s. He had some nice drives that opened up layup lines for teammates. His spurt in the middle of the fourth quarter flipped this game on its head. He was the catalyst of a 14-4 run capped off by a Dyson Daniels floater in the lane.
Jenkins had some key plays to keep the game in reach. A missed foul call on Cade that led to a Johnson 3 on the other end felt like the game was slipping away. With Detroit trailing by 3, Duren slips and slides his way to another three-point opportunity. And-1. The game is knotted at 89 late into the 4th.
If you blinked, you missed the 13-0 run Detroit went on. This was a heavyweight battle with counter punching and on the chin accuracy. Atlanta wouldn’t go down without a fight. NAW and Johnson hit 3s to bring the Hawks back in it. The Pistons’ lack of shooting didn’t cost them tonight, but it could’ve (5/26 from 3, Hawks 14/40)
With Detroit up 2, Cade corkscrewed around Hawks defenders, charging to the cup for a filthy reverse lefty layup. That was the closing touch on another clutch moment from the Clutch Player of the Year. We had to get the late game free throw theatrics out of the way before Detroit grinded out a gritty 99-98 win.
The Pistons move to 17-4 and have run up two in a row. Cade or Duren didn’t even need a standout performance to secure this one. Great team win overall that was led by this defense we all love. Game ball goes to Ron Holland. Good work.
See More:
* [Detroit Pistons Game Day](/detroit-pistons-game-day)
* [Pistons Scores](/pistons-scores-results)