Hoopinion: Hawks 91 Pistons 85

[Hawksquawk]

Boxscore

Gameflow

Highlights

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
DET	80.7	1.054	40.6	18.8	23.4	3.7
ATL	80.7	1.128	52.7	26.3	37.8	17.4

The extreme low-possession nature of the game and the drop-off in scoring between the first half and the second made it look like a defensive struggle. The four factors suggest otherwise. I suspect both teams were frustrated with their offensive performances and for understandable reasons, not least of which their combining for a 28-point, 9-38 shooting fourth quarter. Between their accurate shooting and dominance of the offensive glass (in the absence of Ben Wallace and Jason Maxiell) the Hawks were pretty much unstoppable when not turning the ball over. Detroit struggled to make shots but, because they almost literally never turned the ball over, they got enough shots up to keep pace with the Hawks.

With the probable exception of Al Horford and the possible exception of Jamal Crawford, I'm not sure anyone's reputation came out of this game more improved amongst Hawks fans than did Joe Johnson's as they witnessed more evidence that the team's difficulties scoring in the fourth quarter are larger than the veteran swingman's proclivities.

More than a third of Atlanta's fourth quarter points came as a result of difficult shots (on from a Mo Evans isolation, the other a running hook from Josh Smith after he put his head down and the ball on the floor) that Horford rebounded then immediately found Jamal Crawford for open three-point shots. Crawford knocked both down. Those shots, created by Horford, accounted for six of Crawford's ten* fourth quarter points. Crawford made just one of his other five fourth quarter field goal attempts.

*Two more came about due to Detroit fouling intentionally in the final half-minute.

Iso-Joe is not caused by Joe Johnson he is just the most frequent manifestation of the half-court offense's lack of imagination and/or movement.

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