Miami faces Detroit, aims to halt 4-game slide

Updated Mar. 14, 2024 2:01 a.m. ET
Associated Press

Miami Heat (35-30, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (13-52, 14th in the Eastern Conference)

Detroit; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Miami aims to break its four-game skid with a victory over Detroit.

The Pistons have gone 10-30 against Eastern Conference teams. Detroit allows 120.5 points and has been outscored by 8.1 points per game.

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The Heat are 23-17 in Eastern Conference play. Miami is 6-3 in one-possession games.

The Pistons are shooting 47.0% from the field this season, 0.1 percentage points lower than the 47.1% the Heat allow to opponents. The Heat's 46.5% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.6 percentage points lower than the Pistons have given up to their opponents (49.1%).

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Heat won 118-110 in the last meeting on March 6. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 26 points, and Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 23 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cunningham is scoring 22.3 points per game with 4.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the Pistons. Jaden Ivey is averaging 14.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 37.5% over the past 10 games.

Bam Adebayo is scoring 19.8 points per game and averaging 10.5 rebounds for the Heat. Duncan Robinson is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 5-5, averaging 109.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.4 points per game.

Heat: 5-5, averaging 107.8 points, 41.3 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.5 points.

INJURIES: Pistons: Ausar Thompson: day to day (asthma).

Heat: Josh Richardson: out for season (shoulder), Tyler Herro: out (foot), Kevin Love: out (heel).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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