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.
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