The Detroit Pistons held on to beat the Atlanta Hawks in a wild shootout for their 6th-straight victory, their longest win streak in a decade.
Cade Cunningham dominated the first half, scoring 29 points with 10 assists for his first ever double-double in a half. He finished with 38 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal, deferring in the second half after the Hawks started double-teaming him on every play.
Everyone else stepped up, including some daggers from Malik Beasley, who seemed to answer with a three every time Atlanta got close.
But after the game, Cunningham was asked about Dennis Schroder and said, “he won us the game,” and he’s not wrong, as Schroder showed all of the reasons the Pistons traded for him at the deadline.
Detroit Pistons: Dennis Schroder rounding into form
Schroder had yet to really make his mark in four games for the Pistons, though there was noticeable improvement in the organization of the 2nd-unit offense.
But tonight, he was more aggressive taking it to the rim (which he should have done even more). The Pistons needed another guy who can break down a defense and Schroder did that at times, finishing with 16 points, seven assists and only one turnover.
JB Bickerstaff brought in Schroder to help with the ball handling duties when Atlanta started doubling Cade and he provided solid hands along with some clutch shots.
None was bigger than his drive late in the game that drew a foul on the make, giving the Pistons a two-point lead.
Although they’ve obviously been much better at it this year, the Pistons have had a hard time closing out games like this over recent years so having another reliable ball handler who can get to the rim is a huge addition.
Another reason I loved the Schroder acquisition is that he’s a good free-throw shooter, another key to icing out a game.
He hit all five of his free throws tonight, which helped the Pistons wrap it up late, even with Ausar Thompson bricking a few and Isaiah Stewart making a boneheaded foul on a Trae Young 3-point attempt.
It was just another typical game against Atlanta where you knew it was going to come down to the last few possessions.
Schroder may not go down as one of the all-time great February acquisitions, but it was another solid move by the Pistons' front office.
Trajan Langdon has the touch this season, as all of his offseason moves have been home runs (how good was Beasley again tonight?) and now Dennis Schroder is already helping the Pistons get a huge win with the Clippers coming into Detroit tomorrow.