Pistons guard Malachi Flynn comes off bench to drop 50 in loss to Hawks

Detroit acquired Malachi Flynn as a throw-in to help balance salaries in the Bojan Bogdanovic trade to New York. Since coming to Detroit, he has averaged 5.8 points a game off the bench.

Wednesday night he dropped 50 in a loss to the Hawks.

That's the most a Pistons player has scored coming off the bench in team history (and only the eighth Piston to drop 50+ in a game). Flynn's previous career high was 27, but Wednesday he shot 18-of-25 and got to the line a dozen times.

"Right now, it's tough because, at the end of the day, you want to win," Flynn said, via the Associated Press. But it does feel good to kind of take in the moment. I'm sure a couple of days from now, it will feel really good.”

The Hawks' Jalen Johnson had his first career triple-double — 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists — leading Atlanta to a 121-113 win that clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament for the team. There they will face the Bulls in the 9/10 game.