National Basketball Association
Detroit 121, Atlanta 85
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, December 2, 2016
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Officials: #26 Pat Fraher, #77 Karl Lane, #71 Rodney Mott
Attendance: 15500

ATLANTA -- The Detroit Pistons, who started the season 1-8 on the road, completed a 3-0 trip by handing the Atlanta Hawks a fifth consecutive loss.

Former University of Georgia standout Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a big homecoming with 23 points and the Pistons got over .500 for the first time since early November with a 121-85 rout of the slumping Hawks.

"You never see that coming against a really good team like that," said Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy. "We just had a great night. I thought we played really well at both ends."

The Pistons (11-10) made 17 of 29 3-point shots, with Caldwell-Pope going 5-for-8 and Jon Leuer 4-for-5 off the bench.

"I was being aggressive and just took open shots," Caldwell-Pope said. "I was relaxed and in rhythm."

Tobias Harris had 18 points and Leuer scored 16 as the Pistons put eight players in double-figures while tying a team record for 3-pointers made in a game. Their highest scoring games this season have been their past three.

Andre Drummond contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds in the romp, while Ish Smith had a season-best 13 assists against one turnover and also scored 11 points.

"His tempo is just incredible. He's got such a great motor," said Van Gundy of Smith, who is filling in for the injured Reggie Jackson. "You couldn't play much better than he did tonight."

Dennis Schroder had 17 points and 11 assists as the Hawks (10-10) lost for the eighth time in their past nine games after a six-game winning streak made them 9-2.

The Hawks, who were without leading-scorer Paul Millsap because of a bad hip, got just 21 points from their starters other than Schroder. Dwight Howard had two points in 25 minutes, getting only four shots.

"It's tough. I don't know if disappointing is the word," said Thabo Sefolosha, who started in place of Millsap. "We've got to look at ourselves in the mirror, each and every one of us individually. It's a multitude of things. ... We've got to figure out a way to keep everybody happy and sharing the ball."

The victory was just the Pistons' third in their past 15 games at Atlanta.

The Pistons outscored the Hawks 31-15 in the second quarter and led by as many as 24 points before going into halftime up 58-39.

Caldwell-Pope had 15 of his 20 first-half points in the opening quarter and Drummond scored 11 of his 13 in the second quarter.

Caldwell-Pope was 4-for-5 from behind the 3-point arc in the first half, while Drummond missed just two of his eight shots and also had nine rebounds by intermission.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer tried to light a fire under his team by starting his reserves in the second half, but the Pistons expanded their lead to 88-57 going into the final quarter.

"We deserved it," said Kyle Korver of the benching of the first unit to start the second half. "I think everyone knew. If you're not playing well, you shouldn't play."

NOTES: F Paul Millsap, the Hawks' leading scorer at 16.1 points, missed his second straight game because of a sore left hip and wouldn't travel to Toronto for Saturday's contest. The three-time All-Star was hurt in a fall on Nov. 25 at Utah, but played the next two games. "I would definitely say not worse, but not good enough to play," coach Mike Budenholzer said when asked about Millsap. ... F/G Thabo Sefolosha started in place of Millsap. ... Pistons reserve F Reggie Bullock is scheduled to undergo surgery on Saturday for a torn meniscus in his left knee. The third-year pro from North Carolina was injured Nov. 23 against Miami. ... G DeAndre Bembry, the second of the Hawks' two first-round draft choices, was recalled from the NBA Development League after scoring 35 points on 16-for-22 shooting in his first game with Salt Lake City on Thursday. ... The Pistons, 7-2 at home, host Orlando on Sunday.
Top Game Performances
 
Detroit   Atlanta
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 23 Scoring Dennis Schroder 17
Ish Smith 13 Assists Dennis Schroder 11
Andre Drummond 14 Rebounds Dwight Howard 6
Aron Baynes 2 Free Throws Made Malcolm Delaney 4
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 1 Steals Mike Muscala 2
Tobias Harris 2 Blocks Dwight Howard 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Detroit 121 53.9 17-29 8-12 28 54 3 4 15
Atlanta 85 36.4 6-24 15-20 22 32 2 6 7
Upcoming Games
  • Atlanta will play their next game on the road against Toronto. The Hawks have a W/L % of .727 after a win and .222 after a loss.
  • Detroit will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Pistons have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .455 after a loss.