(My Sportsbook) - The playoff bound
Atlanta Hawks return to the cozy confines of Philips Arena Saturday to take on a
Detroit Pistons team headed for the NBA Draft Lottery.
The Hawks salvaged the finale of their recent three-game road trip on Thursday in Washington when Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score a team-high 29 points to lead Atlanta to a tight 105-99 victory over the lowly Wizards.
Joe Johnson and Al Horford each netted 18 points for the Hawks, who were coming off losses in Miami and New York. Mike Bibby chipped in with 16 points for the victors.
"He's been fantastic all year. He's been a big part of what we do," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said of Crawford. "We rely on him to score the ball, also play defense and help us rebound. He's made big shots for us, run our offense. He's put us in position where we are today."
The Hawks are now dead even with Boston for the third seed in the Eastern Conference and will try and improve on their stellar 25-7 home record tonight.
The Pistons, meanwhile, are also coming off a win over Washington in their most recent affair on Friday night. Will Bynum provided a spark with a career- best 20 assists in that one, helping Detroit beat the Wizards for a sixth straight time, 101-87, at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Tayshaun Prince, Jonas Jerebko and Richard Hamilton all scored 18 to pace the Pistons. The three combined to shoot 24-of-45 for the game.
Ben Gordon chipped in 17 off the bench and Jason Maxiell tallied 12 points and 10 boards for the Pistons, who recorded just their second win in nine games.
"I thought Will Bynum did a great job of getting 20 assists," said Pistons coach John Kuester. "I think he really did a nice job of getting us into our offense."
Bynum was in the starting lineup for Rodney Stuckey, who missed his third straight game last night after collapsing on the bench during a loss in Cleveland on March 5. Extensive cardiac tests on Wednesday provided some good news and Stuckey, who is averaging a career-best 17.1 points per game, has been allowed to resume exercising but there is no timetable for his return to the floor.
Detroit snapped a three-game series losing streak with a 94-88 win in Auburn Hills back in November.