The Atlanta Hawks watched their night slip away in the final seconds, even after Vit Krejci drilled one of the wildest shots of the season. The moment was loud. The crowd rose. And that Vit Krejci 3-pointer briefly cut the gap as they pushed to stop the Pistons and help the Hawks hold on to their 5-game winning streak. But the Pistons stayed poised. They closed every window. And the Hawks walked off the floor knowing they came close to snapping the Pistons' scorching-hot streak but not close enough.

Krejci’s shot came with 23.6 seconds left. The Hawks trailed 116-109, and everything felt flat until the ball left his hands. It splashed from deep and cut the deficit to 116-112. A lifeline. A spark. Under the arena lights, the Hawks finally had momentum. But they needed one more stop. One clean defensive stand to flip the pressure onto the Pistons.

The Hawks’ final sequence slips away in seconds

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Instead, Mouhamed Gueye fouled Jalen Duren almost immediately. Atlanta tried to play the clock, but Duren refused to blink. He stepped to the line and buried two calm free throws. The Hawks hurried up the floor, missed their next shot, and fouled Duren again. Same result. Same cold stare. He hit two more, stretching the lead to 120-112 and pushing Detroit toward another win that steadied their rising confidence.

Then came the final mistake. Jalen Johnson’s rushed pass drifted off target. Another turnover. Another missed chance. The last possession summed up the night: close, but not sharp enough. The Hawks played with urgency but never found the rhythm that wins tight games.

Vit Krejci’s impossible 3-pointer deserved an ending worthy of the moment. It was the kind of moment that flips outcomes in louder arenas and bigger stages. The question now is simple: when the next close game comes around, will the Hawks finally finish the job?