In a tight back-and-forth Eastern Conference battle on Monday night, the Detroit Pistons managed to close the game out with a slim one-point win over the Atlanta Hawks, 99-98. The Hawks were playing their second game in as many days after a double overtime thriller against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, so Detroit entered the game a bit better rested, and those fresh legs helped the Pistons pull off a victory by the slimmest of margins. 

With a victory against the Hawks at home, the Pistons recorded their 10th win by single digits, which is the most in the NBA. What that shows is Detroit knows how to close out highly competitive games that go down to the wire, and that’s a major difference between good teams and great teams. 

Down the stretch, the Hawks had built a modest one to two-possession lead for much of the fourth quarter. With four minutes left, the Pistons offense got hot, and All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham began putting the finishing touches on the win. Cunningham logged 18 points, eight assists, eight rebounds, five steals and three blocks on the night, but he did struggle keeping control of the basketball. Cunningham committed six turnovers, which was the most by any player in the game, so the Pistons struggled with sloppy play at times.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, Cunningham put on a dribbling display, going end-to-end with a flashy spin move along the way for a tough contested bucket to give the Pistons a four-point lead with time running out. After the momentum-shifting play, Cunningham cracked a smile, clearly aware of the flair that he’d just showcased. 

The Pistons welcomed Jalen Duren back into the starting lineup after a brief absence due to a contusion, so the Detroit center was back to his old tricks against the Hawks. Duren operated the two-man game in the pick and roll with Cunningham cleanly, and the Pistons’ offense looked much more familiar at the start of the game. 

Marcus Sasser To Begin Rehab With G-League’s Motor City Cruise Is Daniss Jenkins’ future in Detroit in doubt now that Marcus Sasser is beginning his return?

With the lob game working once again, Duren had a strong first half performance with 14 points and five rebounds. The imposing big man ultimately finished the game with 21 points and 11 rebounds as Detroit’s leading scorer on the night. Duren, as he’s known to do, was tidy with his opportunities and posted a 9-for-12 shooting rate from the floor– another efficient game for JD. 

Pistons Combat Turnover Problems With Rebounding For Extra Possessions 

With the Hawks sticking around all game long, the Pistons were made to work for each basket they could manage. Atlanta’s defense was incessant all game long, and the Hawks forced Detroit into committing 23 turnovers, well above the team’s average for the season. Cunningham was as guilty as any Detroit player in that sense with six turnovers against Atlanta. 

So, the Pistons had to find a way to generate extra opportunities since the team was squandering away possessions with careless turnovers, and that’s where Detroit’s mission to crash the glass comes into play. The Pistons absolutely dominated the boards all game long with a 60-34 edge in rebounds, nearly doubling their opponent’s output. 

Detroit’s hustle was prevalent on the offensive glass especially, and the Pistons hauled in a staggering 18 offensive rebounds. This allowed for the Pistons to generate additional scoring chances, and it ultimately played a huge role given Detroit’s narrow margin of victory.

READ MORE: Jaden Ivey Has 'Best' Performance Since Returning From Injury

Only 9 of Atlanta’s 98 points came from their bench against the Pistons, so Detroit held a massive advantage in bench scoring as well. Leading the way, Ron Holland posted a big 17-point effort and was active with hustle plays left and right. Holland made a big impact on the game in the second quarter, and his contribution was pivotal to the Pistons’ win. 

Duncan Robinson was unable to play for the Pistons on Monday after spraining his ankle against his former team, the Miami Heat, on Saturday night. In his absence, Detroit moved Daniss Jenkins into the starting lineup, which was a savvy move to make considering how well Jenkins has performed lately. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opted to stagger Jenkins and Cunningham on the night, which was a smart move on paper, though it did not pay off in the turnover category. 

Next up, the Pistons will travel to Milwaukee on Wednesday, Dec. 3 for an 8 pm tilt with the Bucks. 

For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.