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Pistons aim to snap skid, avenge loss to Hawks



The Detroit Pistons won’t have to wait long for an opportunity to pay back the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta handed Detroit its fourth straight loss, 118-113, on Wednesday. They’ll match up once again in Detroit on Friday.

Pistons coach Dwane Casey saw marked improvement from the previous night, when his team lost at Washington by 21 points.

“Like night and day, as far as execution, effort and defensive approach,” he said.

The Pistons led 100-99 midway through the fourth quarter. The Hawks then reeled off nine consecutive points and never relinquished the lead. Bojan Bogdanovic and Cade Cunningham kept the Pistons close with their offensive punch. Bogdanovic, who played the last three seasons with perennial playoff team Utah, poured in 33 points and is averaging a team-best 23.2 points per game.

“He keeps the scoreboard moving and gives our defense a chance to really lock in,” Casey said.

Bogdanovic provides a veteran presence on a rotation mainly filled with first-, second- and third-year players.

Atlanta coach Nate McMillan used a nine-man rotation and got 10 points apiece out of reserves Aaron Holiday and Onyeka Okongwu. Hawks Forward John Collins contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Collins and center Clint Capela each grabbed six fourth-quarter rebounds while Detroit’s entire team only had seven.

“It’s still early and we’re still working on a rhythm and a chemistry and rotation,” McMillan said. “I want to find a way to give our starters less minutes. They’re playing pretty heavy minutes in these first few games. So coming up with a rotation, so that we can have a balanced (unit), is what we’re looking for.”