Trae Young, Hawks send Pistons to 24th straight loss

Trae Young scored 31 points and dished out 15 assists as the Atlanta Hawks defeated Detroit 130-124 on Monday (Tuesday, December 19, Manila time) to hand the visiting Pistons their 24th straight loss.

It was the fourth consecutive 30-point game for Young and his 16th double-double of the season. His performance helped offset a career-high 43-point effort from Detroit’s Cade Cunningham.

The Pistons, who trailed by 14 early in the fourth quarter, pulled within 129-124 on a pair of Cunningham free throws with 19 seconds left but could get no closer.

The loss leaves Detroit two games shy of the NBA record for longest losing streak within the same season. That record is jointly held by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers had a 28-game losing streak that carried over from the 2014-15 season into the 2015-16 season. The Cavs also lost 24 straight between the 1981-82 and 1982-83 campaigns.

Atlanta got 21 points from ex-Piston Saddiq Bey and 20 points from Dejounte Murray. De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, who had both been listed as questionable earlier in the day due to knee injuries, had productive nights. Hunter notched 19 points, and Capela produced 17 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic added 25 points and Marvin Bagley III scored 17.

The Hawks made their first five 3-point attempts and hit 9 of 12 in the opening quarter. The Hawks built a 38-25 by the period’s end.

A bucket by Bey it 47-31 in the second, but the Pistons went on a 13-4 run and cut the margin to seven points on a 3-pointer from Bogdanovic. Atlanta led 61-52 at halftime.

Detroit was able to trim the margin to five points on a fastbreak dunk by Cunningham early in the third quarter. Atlanta called timeout, then outscored the Pistons 17-6, with a 3-pointer by Bey putting the Hawks ahead by 16. Atlanta took a 96-84 edge into the fourth quarter.

The Hawks have won six straight against Detroit, two this season, and have won six straight vs. the Pistons in Atlanta. The teams meet for the final time this season on April 3 in Atlanta. – Rappler.com