State Farm- The Atlanta Hawks returned home Monday night to face off against the Detroit Piston. The Hawks pulled away late for the win over pistons, 122-104.
Trae Young finished the night with 32 points and nine assists. Hawks’ forward John Collins finished the game with 22 points, seven rebounds, and another posterizing highlight dunk.
“I’m amazed too,” McMillan smiled postgame when asked about Collins’ dunk. “I played with a guy like that, that plays way, way above the rim called Shawn Kemp. To see those guys, their ability to first play above the rim like that, catch lobs and finish in traffic…that’s a special talent and a gift.”
Cam Reddish continued his good play off the bench for the Hawks so far in this early NBA season. Reddish didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but he still finished with 17 points and had three steals to help set the tone for the team’s defensive intensity.
Despite having no Deandre Hunter and Danilo Gallinari, five players scored in double figures for the Hawks.
The Pistons hung around for three quarters and played their best basketball in the second quarter but were eventually overwhelmed by the Hawks’ depth. In the second quarter, they shot 61% from the floor and scored 36 points in the quarter after only scoring 18 in the first quarter. Pistons’ forward Jerami Grant and number one overall pick Cade Cunningham were both out. The team still had all five starters score in double figures with Kelly Olynyk and Saddiq Bey leading the way. Both scored 21 points each.
Bey has been impressive in just his second year out of Villanova. Bey was the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has shown real improvement. Bey is now averaging 18 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game, which he leads the team in both categories.
When Grant and Cunningham return to the lineup with Bey continuing his good play, it would give Pistons’ fans a lot of hope for their future.
Hawks’ fans feel like their future is now. Reddish is finally showing some promise. The team is loaded and have locked down their young talent for the coming years. Hawks’ fans feel they can make a return to the Eastern Conference finals and maybe more. The Hawks’ will just need to stay healthy, and the sky is the limit for this talented young roster.
