AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The NBA's second-best defensive team resorted to unsightly tactics to keep its hot streak going.

By intentionally fouling Detroit center Andre Drummond, the league's worst free throw shooter, the Atlanta Hawks slowed down the Pistons just enough to collect a 118-114 victory on Wednesday night at The Palace.

The Hawks rallied from an 11-point, third-quarter deficit and won for the eighth time in 10 games.

"It's something we've used," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said of the intentional fouls. "If we feel like it's going to create an advantage, we'll continue to do it. Part of it was they were playing so good offensively. It's a way to give your defense a little bit of a breather, take the ball out of some other people's hands and change the rhythm of the game."

Drummond actually didn't do badly by his standards, as the 36.3 percent foul shooter attempted 17 second-half free throws and made eight of them. But Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy finally felt compelled to take him out with 3:51 remaining and never brought his All-Star back in.

The Pistons shot 35 percent from the field in the second half and went scoreless for the first 2:33 following Drummond's exit.

"That's part of the game and it worked for us," Hawks center Al Horford said.

Horford had a big second half with 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Overall, he had 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists while point guard Jeff Teague piled up 22 points and nine assists.

Teague's free throws with 17.9 seconds left saved the Hawks (39-29) after they allowed a late nine-point lead to fritter away to two in the final minute.

"Not very good coaching, not very (good) execution," Budenholzer said of the late slide. "A lot of mental mistakes by all of us, myself included."

Teague's backup, Dennis Schroder, contributed 18 points and seven assists. Kent Bazemore added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Paul Millsap chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 24 points led the Pistons (34-34), who have lost three of their last four games. Detroit, which began a franchise-record nine-game homestand, was coming off a season-worst 124-81 to Washington on Monday.

"They came out with a sense of urgency and were very focused," Horford said. "They're a playoff team. They're just fighting for their playoff lives right now."

Detroit remained percentage points behind Chicago, which lost to Washington on Wednesday, for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I can't find any answers. We're just not guarding," said Van Gundy, whose team has lost three of its last four games. "Their point guards killed us. We can't have (defensive stalwart Caldwell-Pope) guard everybody. Somebody else has got to guard someone on the court."

Drummond notched his league-high 56th double-double with 18 points and 18 rebounds, Tobias Harris had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Reggie Jackson tossed in 17 points with 10 assists for Detroit.

The Pistons might have survived the defensive errors if they didn't also have to overcome Drummond's weakness.

"It slowed the game down but I didn't allow it to take down my game," he said. "I just went up there and shot the free throws and tried to move on. I tell you guys all the time, I work on it every day ... I've just got to keep working."

Millsap's three-point play gave Atlanta a 106-104 lead with 3:51 remaining.

The Hawks also scored the next seven points, all on free throws, before Jackson's layup with 1:18 left. Morris' three-point play with 18.8 seconds to go cut the Hawks' lead to 116-114. Teague then hit his two free throws to clinch the win.

NOTES: Detroit SG Jodie Meeks was inactive after injuring a shoulder in practice on Tuesday. ... The Pistons' longest homestands before their current nine-game stretch lasted eight games during the 1996-97 and 1972-73 seasons. ... Detroit is 18-4 when all its starters score in double figures. The 22 games with all starters hitting double digits is an NBA high. ... The Hawks have eight players who have made at least 33 3-point attempts this season. "Every guy they play can stretch the floor out," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "It's a tough team to guard." ... Atlanta ranks third in the league in forcing turnovers (16.6) and first in points off turnovers (19.2). ... The Hawks play three home games in the next five nights, beginning with Denver on Thursday. ... The teams split two games at The Palace since the 2010-11 season. Atlanta returns to The Palace on March 26.