AUBURN HILLS, Mich.(AP) Zaza Pachulia scored 18 points, including the deciding layup in the final minute, to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Detroit Pistons 88-87 in the exhibition finale for both teams Thursday night.
Both coaches rested key players. Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace didn't play for Detroit, while Joe Johnson sat out for Atlanta.
Former Pistons guard Flip Murray led the Hawks (5-3) with 19 points, and Maurice Evans and Marvin Williams had 14 each. Arron Afflalo had 15 points for the Pistons (6-2), rookie Walter Sharpe added 13 and Jason Maxiell had 11.
Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups combined for 15 first-quarter points to help Detroit take a 24-15 lead, but neither played again after the end of the period.
Atlanta opened the second quarter with a 17-2 run and led 42-39 at the half.
Detroit's reserves, though, turned the game around at the beginning of the second half.
The Pistons started the third quarter with a 24-7 run - including 18 points from second-year guards Rodney Stuckey and Afflalo - to go up 63-49.
The Hawks fought their way back and led late in the fourth quarter until Alex Acker's 3-pointer gave Detroit an 87-86 edge with 2:01 to go.
Pachulia put Atlanta back in front with less than a minute left, and Maxiell missed a jumper at the other end.
Evans missed what would have been a clinching 3-pointer, but Stuckey's half-court attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim.
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