At home and resting for a few days, Jimmy Butler's Heat hosts the poor Pistons and starts their match rather well. Duncan Robinson is perfect on shots with 10 points at 3/3 over the period, including a nice move on the baseline after hesitation, just like Nikola Jovic and Caleb Martin. Collectively, it plays very clean in Miami which shoots 60% overall and 4/4 at 3-points. Opposite, the Pistons are not as skillful at 1/8 from a distance, which explains the gap of 10 units after twelve minutes (36-26).
But Detroit reacted at the start of the 2nd quarter, with a 10-2 to get back on track. Silent in the first quarter with two quick fouls, Jalen Duren finally got into action with a big two-handed dunk, then a huge alley oop launched by Cunningham for 10 points in the period. Simone Fontecchio also found the target with 11 units and the visitors thus found themselves only 1 point behind the Heat at the break, despite a very good Caleb Martin (15 points in 11 minutes) very efficient off the bench (61-60).
Jimmy Butler folds the deal in the last quarter
On their good momentum at the end of the first half, the Pistons even took the advantage by continuing to put the ball inside, on Duren but also Stewart who goes for the dunk on the baseline. Little seen in the first half because he was clumsy (3/10), Bam Adebayo put on the warm-up blue and responded in turn, with an incredible basket plus the mistake. Ausar Thompson takes off and hovers above the racket for a left-handed dunk but Detroit runs after the score again (93-88).
Like a good veteran, Jimmy Butler had saved the best for last. While Cunningham, Ivey and Fournier (who finally hits a field shot after 5 failures) hit big shots and there is a match as money time approaches, it is indeed the former All-Star of the Heat who will take the match into his own hands, with 15 of his team's 26 points in the last quarter. It's him who crucifies the Pistons with a basket near the circle, then a 3-pointer in the last minute (118-110).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Heat builds pressure. Not necessarily very comfortable at the start of the season, with two series of four then seven defeats*$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, the Heat is little to little finding its cruising speed as the end of the season approaches. Like Jimmy Butler who reserved himself for the end of the match, with 15 of his 26 points, in the last quarter, Miami is now at 5 victories out of 6 games since the All Star cut. Better still, they have won eleven of their last fourteen matches and have moved up to 6th place in the Eastern Conference (very close to New York and Orlando). As usual, it won't be good to come across the veterans of the Heat in the playoffs next spring…
– Better for the Pistons. Even if the defeats continue to accumulate on the record, the Pistons are playing better, by the own admission of their coach, Monty Williams: “We are better than at the start of the year. Our guys continue to learn how to play and defend in this League. It’s part of their development and maturation process. » It must be said that his players were valiant in staying in contact until Butler's hot shot in the last minute, like Sasser who threw himself on the ground to recover a ball, or Jalen Duren who overcame his problems fault to end up with a double-double in his strong-arm duel against Adebayo.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
