Pistons vs Hawks preview: Atlanta hosts Detroit in search of fifth straight win

The Atlanta Hawks are suddenly rolling again on the heels of four consecutive wins, and all appears to be right with the world. Of course, that statement is made with tongue planted firmly in cheek, as this winning streak is not terribly surprising when compared to the overreaction that stemmed from a mild downturn previously, but the Hawks are certainly playing better basketball and that is always a good thing.

On Wednesday evening, the Hawks will play host to Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons in what should be an interesting match-up. Detroit is a vastly improved team from a year ago, and the Pistons kicked off their 2015-2016 campaign with a 12-point home win against the Hawks on opening night. Since that time, their performance has been up and down, but Stan Van Gundy's group is playing better basketball of late, and they are certainly dangerous even in the friendly confines of Philips Arena.

Because of the presence of Drummond, there will be extra attention paid to the rebounding margin in this particular game, and that is an area where the Hawks continue to struggle. Mike Budenholzer was visibly flummoxed when prompted about a 19-rebound disadvantage in the win over Portland on Monday, but he can't escape from the reality that Drummond is a monster on the glass in advance of this game, and that will be perhaps the biggest story line.

There will be plenty to monitor throughout the day and night, so stay tuned to this space. Let's do this together.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, December 23, 8:00 p.m. ET

Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM