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Hawks vs Pistons preview: Atlanta looks to slow down red hot Detroit

The Atlanta Hawks look to cool off the red hot Detroit Pistons when the two teams meet Saturday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference meet Saturday night when the Atlanta Hawks travel to Detroit to face the Pistons.

Atlanta has won eight of their last 10 games and 12 of their last 15 to climb into third place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks 101-90 on Friday despite a cold shooting night from three-point range. Atlanta went just 5 for 32 from beyond-the-arc one game after knocking down a season-best 17 in a win over Washington. Jeff Teague scored 12 of his team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory.

The Pistons locked down their fifth straight victory on Friday with a 112-105 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Detroit's late season surge has given them a two game cushion over the Chicago Bulls for the final playoff spot in the East and has elevated them to just percentage points behind the Indiana Pacers for seventh place in the conference. The Pistons are doing it at both ends of the court during their win streak. They limited Charlotte to just 36 percent shooting in Friday's win and have averaged 110 points per game over the last five games.

Atlanta has taken two of the three meetings between the two clubs so far this season including a 118-114 win at the Palace a little over a week ago. Teague again led the way for Atlanta with 22 points while Al Horford logged a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Andre Drummond finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds in that game but was on the bench late as the Hawks fouled him repeatedly to put him on the line. Drummond finished the game 8 of 17 from the charity stripe and it won't be a surprise to see the Hawks use the same tactic this time around.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, March 26, 7:30 p.m. ET

Location: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Michigan

TV: Fox Sports Southeast

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM