Pistons 102 - 95 Hawks
Final
  for this game

Hawks focus on 8th spot in meeting with Pistons

Apr 8, 2014 - 2:07 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Hawks are back in the driver's seat for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and will try to enhance their comfort level Tuesday night when they host the Detroit Pistons.

The Hawks have won two straight and the New York Knicks have dropped two straight. That means the Hawks are two clear of the Knicks for the final berth in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"We're playing well," said Hawks guard Jeff Teague. "We finally got most of our guys healthy. Just trying to continue to stay on this road hungry, just trying to make that eighth seed."

The Hawks' most recent victory came Sunday night when they squashed the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Atlanta held the Pacers to 23 first-half points en route to a 107-88 drubbing.

Teague scored 25 points to lead the Hawks. Pero Antic added a career-high 18 points and Paul Millsap deposited 17 points with 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Shelvin Mack chipped in 13 off the bench and Kyle Korver contributed 11 for Atlanta.

The Hawks have two straight at home as they'll host the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Atlanta finishes the season with two on the road and two in Philips Arena.

The Pistons are playing out the string, but did show signs of life on Saturday. Detroit snapped a two-game losing streak, both on the road, with a 115-111 home win over the Boston Celtics.

The Pistons, who start a three-game road trip Tuesday night and have lost three in a row as the visitor, rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half to get the victory.

Andre Drummond led the Pistons with 19 points and 20 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

"I pride myself on getting offensive rebounds," Drummond said. "That's how I get my points."

Rodney Stuckey netted 26 points off the bench, Greg Monroe provided 21 points and seven rebounds, Brandon Jennings added 20 points and Josh Smith finished with 11 points for Detroit.

Tuesday's game was originally scheduled for Jan. 29 and was postponed due to severe weather in the Atlanta area.

The Hawks have won two of three this season against the Pistons and six of the last eight meetings. Atlanta owns a 10-game winning streak at home over Detroit, which last won in Atlanta on Feb. 12, 2008.






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