Detroit falters in second half, falls to Hawks

ATLANTA >> Trae Young had 26 points and 13 assists, Dejounte Murray added 26 points, and the Atlanta Hawks used a dominant third quarter to beat the struggling Detroit Pistons 130-105 on Friday night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 19 points, and Clint Capela, returning after missing the last three games with a right calf strain, finished with 10 rebounds and 10 points for the Hawks, who have won three of four to improve to 1716. They began the night ninth in the Eastern Conference and are 11-6 at home.

“We were still contesting and making it tough on them, but they’re pros and they kept making plays,” Young said. “We just kept fighting and playing hard, and we ended up stretching out the lead in that third quarter and helping us get this win.”

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 for the NBA-worst Pistons, who have lost five straight.

Atlanta went on a 17-3 run over a four-minute stretch of the third quarter to take its first double-digit lead at 7969 on Murray’s runner in the lane. Detroit never threatened the rest of the way.

The Pistons were outscored 35-18 in the third. Early in the fourth, Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a 3 on a fast break, Onyeka Okongwu followed with a turnaround jumper on the right baseline and Bogdanovic knocked down a right-wing 3 to push the lead to 105-81. Atlanta finished a 21-2 run over a sixminute stretch of the third and the fourth on Griffin’s fast-break dunk.

“I think overall we played a great first half,” said Detroit guard Killian Hayes, who finished with 17 points. “We had a few turnovers, and the ball was moving, but the first half wasn’t the issue. I think the third quarter, when they made that run, it was tough to come back from that and then the game was pretty much done from there.”