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Detroit Pistons Guard Makes History in Matchup vs Hawks

Detroit Pistons' Malachi Flynn had a career-night against the Atlanta Hawks.
Justin Grasso|
Apr 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malachi Flynn (14) shoots against Atlanta
Apr 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malachi Flynn (14) shoots against Atlanta | Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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Detroit PistonsAtlanta Hawks

Coming off their nail-biting loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Detroit Pistons were back in action to take on the Atlanta Hawks. They weren’t able to get back in the win column, but one player ended up etching his name in the history books.

With Cade Cunningham ruled out for the matchup, a lot of minutes opened up at the point guard position. Marcus Sasser ended up starting in place of the former No. 1 pick, but it was Malachi Flynn who became the story in this game. In 34 minutes off the bench, the young guard erupted for a career-high 50 points against the Hawks.

Flynn had an all-around dominant game, also recording six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. It was an efficient night for the Pistons guard, going 18-for-25 from the field and 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.

This would be a record-setting performance for Flynn. He now has the lowest career points per game average from a player to record a 50-point game (5.2). Before this, the record belonged to longtime Toronto Raptors guard/forward Terrence Ross.

Before Wednesday, Flynn had only played in 17 games for the Pistons this season. He came to Detroit at the trade deadline as part of the Bojan Bogdanovic/Alec Burks trade. Flynn had only broken double-digits four times with the Pistons before this remarkable outing, with his high being 17 points.

It’s been a hectic year for Flynn, having suited up for three different franchises in one season. That said, the 25-year-old has managed to cap things off in historic fashion.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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