Atlanta — It’s still not time to start talking about moral victories for the Pistons.
They’ve played three games against likely playoff teams and don’t have a victory to show for it yet.
They were shorthanded, but they still stayed within single digits in the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks. The offense sputtered, and the defense didn’t have an answer for All-Star guard Trae Young, and the Hawks rolled to a 122-104 victory on Monday night at State Farm Arena.
The Pistons were without leading scorer Jerami Grant, who has an elbow infection, and the offense struggled in the first quarter, shooting only 27% (6-of-22) from the field.