HAWKS 85, PISTONS 78: Bibby’s big 3s swamp Detroit

The next time Mike Bibby decides to stop shooting after a torrid start he might want to first consult with his teammates.

The Hawks point guard spent halftime of Sunday’s 85-78 win over Detroit getting dirty looks and having to explain why he stopped shooting after making all five of his 3-point shots in the second quarter.

“I’m not lying, I was [ticked off] at him,” Hawks forward Marvin Williams said. “I told him that at halftime. ‘You haven’t missed yet and you stop shooting.’ And then he went back out there after halftime and hit his next one. I could’ve strangled that cat.”

Bibby helped the Hawks throttle the Pistons at Philips Arena. They led by as many as 18 points before surviving a late run against a team that had beaten them in eight of their past 10 meetings here.

His 15-point second quarter was the boost the Hawks (17-10) needed. Bibby finished with a game- and season-high 27 points (on 10-for-13 shooting), five assists and three rebounds, nearly outscoring the Pistons’ starting backcourt of Allen Iverson (10 points) and Rodney Stuckey (20 points) by himself.

“The first shot I took didn’t even feel good and it went in,” Bibby said. “That’s usually a good indication that the shots you take are going to go in. And the guys did a good job of finding me all night.”

With someone different holding the hot hand nearly every night, Bibby hasn’t had trouble picking and choosing his spots this season. Currently he is the NBA’s second-best 3-point shooter (.433).

“You just have to shoot the shots that are there for you,” Bibby said. “We’re winning, and as long we’re doing that it’s no big deal who scores.”

Bibby would be wise to continue his assault the next time he starts as hot as he did Sunday afternoon.

“When he’s shooting it like that everybody wants to see him keep shooting it,” Josh Smith said. “He shot extremely well today and was confident in his shot. You go 5-for-5 in the first half, I don’t know why you don’t shoot that much in the second half.

“But hey, we’ll take the win against a good team that’s right behind us in the standings right now. So any separation we can get is a good thing.”

That the Hawks are able to not only compete with, but also dispatch, teams from the upper echelon of the league was another revelation.

The Pistons have long been one of the Hawks’ tormentors in the Eastern Conference. But the times have apparently changed, and for the better where the Hawks are concerned.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson pointed to his team’s improved defense and the growth and maturity that comes with last season’s coming-of-age saga in their playoff run against Boston.

“We’ve grown, and that’s the sign of a team that’s [matured] over the years,” Woodson said. “These guys aren’t the same guys they were a couple of years ago. And you have to tip your hat to those guys in the locker room because they’ve worked. They’ve put time in during the summer, and every year they’ve come back better.

“I expect this team to beat good teams. We’ve shown that here as of late. And if you can take the Celtics to seven, you should be able to beat anybody in this league.”

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> Who: vs. Thunder

> When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

> TV; radio: Fox Sports South; 790 AM