The Atlanta Hawks suffered a tough 114-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, largely due to their worst three-point shooting performance of the season.
The numbers tell a stark story: the Hawks matched their season-low with just six made three-pointers, shooting an abysmal 15.8% from long range. This marks the fewest threes the franchise has ever made when attempting 38 or more. To put this into perspective, only Vit Krejci and Garrison Mathews found success from deep, going a combined 5-of-9. The rest of the team went an almost unbelievable 1-of-29.
While the three-point shooting was the most glaring issue, it wasn’t the only problem. The Hawks also struggled inside, shooting just 55% at the rim and 51% on two-point attempts overall. These figures, while not as catastrophic as the three-point percentage, were still below average and contributed to the team’s offensive woes.
Defensively, the Hawks had a rough start, allowing 36 points in the first quarter. However, they tightened up in the second half, allowing fewer than 0.9 points per possession and winning that portion of the game by eight points. Unfortunately, the early deficit proved too much to overcome, in part because Atlanta failed to put together a big run without the prospect of long-range shotmaking.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Hawks’ performance against the Pistons, tune into the Locked On Hawks podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Hawks Podcast:
• Analysis of Onyeka Okongwu’s recent performances and starting role
• Bogdan Bogdanovic’s recent shooting slump and its impact on the team
• The Hawks’ upcoming schedule and potential lineup changes
