Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson forced the game into overtime and then helped put the Detroit Pistons away in extra time as the Hawks swooped down and stole a 107-101 win at the Palace at Auburn Hills.
This loss is the third straight for Detroit and will sting every bit as much as the loss on Wednesday to the Miami Heat. The Pistons put forth a strong effort and despite struggling to shoot the ball, manage to lead for much of the game. But a late 7-2 run by Atlanta to close the game in the final minute sent the game to overtime.
Johnson came up big for the Hawks with 1.5 seconds left in regulation, making a step-back three-pointer with Rodney Stuckey in his face. The cold-blooded make appeared to zap the life out of the Pistons as they had nothing left to throw at the Hawks in overtime, giving up 20 points in the five extra minutes.
Johnson led Atlanta with 30 points while Marvin Williams added 22 points and eight rebounds including the first five points in that 7-2 run to close the game. Josh Smith was also active for Atlanta with 19 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks.
Detroit lost again despite another solid game from Greg Monroe who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie point guard Brandon Knight made four three pointers and finished with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Jason Maxiell was also a beast off the bench with 19 points and eight rebounds.
The Pistons will have to forget this one quickly as they are back in action on Saturday night at Philadelphia.
For more on the Pistons, check out Detroit Bad Boys. For more on the Hawks, go to Peachtree Hoops. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA.