J.B. Bickerstaff on Jaden Ivey’s fifth game since returning from injury on Nov. 22.
J.B. Bickerstaff on Jaden Ivey’s fifth game since returning from injury on Nov. 22.
Miami — Duncan Robinson made a fast break drive and executed a Euro-step layup to maneuver around Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell. The basket gave the Pistons an 86-69 lead with 7:10 left in the third quarter. Following the play, Heat coach Eric Spoelstra promptly called a timeout.
As Robinson walked back to the visitors’ bench, he couldn’t help but smile, playfully mocking his former team. His EuroBasket was part of a successful homecoming, which helped the Detroit Pistons take a 138-135 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Prior to the game, Robinson described Kaseya Center as a place he had a great rhythm for seven seasons with the Heat, and he proved it while wearing a Pistons jersey. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting with three made 3-point field goals. He also added five assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block.
The Pistons ended a two-game losing skid while improving their overall record to 16-4.
“It was fun, a cool experience, but a weird mix of emotions to be on the other side,” Robinson said. “From a competitive aspect, as much as I love those guys, I really wanted to win this one.”
Although fans did not appreciate Robinson helping the Pistons hand the Heat their second home loss of the season, his performance was a testament to Miami’s love and respect for him.
The Heat wasted no time in showing their admiration. As soon as Robinson stepped on the floor to begin his pregame warm-ups, Spoelstra immediately walked over to say hello. During the team introduction, the franchise welcomed its former undrafted prodigy back with a tribute video.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 138, Heat 135
“Duncan is such an uncommon story. I’ll always root for him because of all the things he had to overcome,” Spoelstra said. “Duncan has probably been told no and had doors closed on him more often than he has had yeses. All it did was strengthen him. I always admired that about him.
Spoelstra continued, “He is one of the great all-time Miami Heat success stories. We are all extremely happy for him. He does look strange in blue. It doesn’t look normal, but that’s the life of the NBA.”
Robinson’s homecoming would take a back seat because of the Pistons’ near-collapse. Detroit led by 22 after Ron Holland II (10 points) scored on an and-1 basket, leading to the Pistons’ 121-99 lead with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter.
Despite being down by a significant deficit, the Heat found their rhythm. They outscored the Pistons 27-10, closing the gap to 131-126 with 1:06 remaining. Cade Cunningham then committed a shooting foul on Norman Powell behind the arc. After Powell (28 points) made all three free throws, the Heat trailed by two with 45 seconds left.
However, on the next offensive possession, Daniss Jenkins — who scored nine points and recorded four assists — made a layup that extended Detroit’s lead to 133-129 with 40.5 seconds remaining. Jenkins’ basket created enough separation to keep Miami at bay.
“You think about what these guys did over the last four to five days. They played back-to-back Cup games. Get on a plane at midnight and fly three hours, and then get to the hotel at four in the morning, and then come out here and win a basketball game, that’s the most important thing,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Sometimes you just got to get the win, and we got the win.”
Despite finishing the night with eight turnovers, Cunningham led Detroit with 29 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Tobias Harris recorded a season-high of 26 points, shooting 10-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
Andrew Wiggins led Miami with 31 points, while Tyler Herro added 24 points.
Observations and notes
▶ Jalen Duren day-to-day with leg injury: Jalen Duren sustained a left leg contusion during Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic. Bickerstaff isn’t sure exactly when the injury occurred, but mentioned that Duren received treatment for his leg on the sideline throughout the game. There is no specific timetable for Duren’s return, and he will be considered day-to-day moving forward.
â–¶Paul Reed stays ready for the moment: After playing a crucial role in helping the Pistons overcome multiple injuries during their 13-game winning streak, Paul Reed saw a notable reduction in his playing time over the last three games. He received a pair of DNPs in back-to-back games and only played five minutes during the Pistons’ loss to the Magic 24 hours earlier.
However, due to Duren’s absence, Reed received a great deal of minutes, playing 19 minutes, notching 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
As usual, Reed made a greater impact beyond the scorebox. His defensive production changed several shots at the rim for Miami, which played a role in the Pistons holding Miami to 22 points in the paint in the first half. The Heat came into the game averaging 57.5 points in the paint, ranking second in the league.
▶A new lineup: To play 12 to 13 players, Bickerstaff noted that one advantage of this approach is finding different combinations that will enhance the Pistons’ performance as the season unfolds.
Late in the first quarter against the Heat, Bickerstaff might have discovered a new lineup featuring Daniss Jenkins, Jaden Ivey, Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland, and Paul Reed. Their chemistry and effectiveness on both ends of the court led the Pistons to a 13-0 run to end the quarter, giving them a 36-23 lead.
Later in the second half, the same lineup helped the Pistons maintain a lead over the Heat, who cut their once-19-point deficit to 10 midway through the third quarter.
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