Pistons Vs. Hawks Final Score: Detroit Flattened By Atlanta In Lifeless Effort

So much for calling Tuesday's 39-point destruction of the Cleveland Cavaliers a momentum builder. Nope. Not for this Detroit Pistons team. Instead of taking something, anything, from their blowout victory over the hapless Cavs, the Pistons opted to go down a different path on Wednesday night, and instead were promptly taken to the woodshed by the Atlanta Hawks,116-84.

Aside from the 34.8% shooting from the field, or the woeful 7-for-25 performance from behind the arc, Detroit turned in one of its most lifeless start-to-finish games of the entire season. The timing of such a performance, however, is the most peculiar part of all after knowing that this same team torched the nets less than 24 hours earlier.

Contributions from key Pistons players were hard to come by on this night, as rookie guard Brandon Knight, who dropped a season-high 28 points on Cleveland, finished just 2-for-9. Chronic underachiever Austin Daye sputtered to a 1-for-11 performance, while sixth man Ben Gordon finished 3-for-11. It all adds up to a complete debacle for head coach Lawrence Frank, a man who is notorious around the league for refusing to lay down in games that appear to be already decided.

The Pistons, now 23-39 and a putrid 7-25 on the road, will return home to Motown for a Thursday date with a skidding Minnesota Timberwolves team.

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Pistons Vs. Hawks Score Update: Detroit Massacred In 1st Half, Down 72-42 In Atlanta

A mere day after putting the finishing touches on one of the more impressive blowouts of the 2011-12 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons find themselves on the wrong end of a 30-point route against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

The Pistons are shooting just 34.1% from the field, while the Hawks are connecting nearly twice as often on their shots (62.2%) Five Detroit players who have taken a shot, including key guards Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon, have yet to make a field goal. Big man Greg Monroe, who has 11 points and four rebounds, has been the lone bright spot for the Pistons after 24 minutes.

Oddly enough, onetime Pistons guard Tracy McGrady has been a big key to Atlanta's big lead, and the former All-Star leads all role players with 10 points off the bench. The Hawks have picked up 31 of their 72 points from their bench, and McGrady's contributions clearly show how out of hand this game has already become. With the outcome already decided, it will be interesting to see Detroit head coach Lawrence Frank's level of intensity on the bench in the second half.

For more on the Pistons, head over to Detroit Bad Boys. For more NBA news and analysis, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

Pistons Vs. Hawks: Detroit Faces Playoff Bound Atlanta

The Detroit Pistons head to Atlanta to face the playoff bound Hawks on Wednesday.