An Unlikely Hawk Comes to Rescue

Perhaps the Detroit Pistons shouldn’t have given up on Grant Long.

Long, who spent two miserable seasons in Detroit, struck back against his former team with a career playoff-high 26 points, leading the short-handed Atlanta Hawks into the second round of the playoffs with an 87-75 victory over the Pistons in the decisive Game 5 Sunday night.

“He had a tough two years here in Detroit and some people thought his career was over,” said Grant Hill, overshadowed by the other man named Grant. “It looks like he had a rebirth here in Atlanta. He was tremendous.”

The Hawks, getting only two points from their bench, advanced to meet the New York Knicks in the best-of-seven second round beginning Tuesday night at the Georgia Dome.

“This is a great opportunity,” Tyrone Corbin said. “But New York is a quality team. They’re going to be hard to beat. If we look over them, we’ll be making a tragic mistake.”

The victory was particularly satisfying for Long, who rarely played while spending the previous two seasons in Detroit.

“Having not gotten a chance in Detroit, then to come back and play well against them, was a great, great feeling,” said Long, who also had 11 rebounds and two steals.

Joe Dumars scored three points in the final game of his 14-year Piston career. He left the court to a standing ovation from the Hawks’ crowd and hugs from players and coaches on both teams.

“I’m disappointed,” said Dumars, a key player on two Pistons championship teams. “I don’t know what else to say.”

Hill scored 10 of the first 14 points for the Pistons, but managed only 11 the rest of the game. He has never won a playoff series with Detroit, which last advanced to the second round in 1991.

Hill tried to carry the Piston offense, but shot only 10 for 27 against persistent double-teaming by the Hawks.

The Hawks outscored the Pistons, 19-11, in the fourth quarter and held Detroit without a point for the first four minutes. The Pistons, who shot only five for 16 in the fourth, never got closer than seven in the final eight minutes.

Atlanta shot only three for 16 from the field in the fourth quarter but went 13 for 16 at the free-throw line, including eight for eight by Long.

“I felt good about our chances,” said Detroit Coach Alvin Gentry, whose team trailed, 68-64, going into the fourth quarter. “Then we went through that dreaded streak where we just couldn’t score. And every time we do that, it just ends up costing us.”