NBA: Heat keep rolling, hand East-leading Pistons fourth straight loss

Tyler Herro scored 25 points as the host Miami Heat extended their winning streak to five games with a 121-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon.

Miami, riding its hottest streak since a six-game run in November, also received 24 points and nine rebounds from Bam Adebayo. Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds off the bench.

For Detroit, Cade Cunningham tallied 26 points and 10 assists, while Jalen Duren added 24 points on 10-for-12 shooting. Despite Cunningham’s strong return after missing the previous game with a left quadriceps contusion, the Pistons have now lost four consecutive games. Before this skid, Detroit had not lost more than two straight contests this season.

The Pistons played their second straight game without starting forward Ausar Thompson, who remains sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Meanwhile, Duncan Robinson, who spent his first seven NBA seasons with Miami before joining Detroit this season, struggled, finishing with just three points on 1-for-7 shooting.

Detroit’s fast break proved costly, as the Pistons were outscored 22-6 in transition. The team’s lead in the Eastern Conference has narrowed to just 2½ games over the Boston Celtics.

Miami, playing without leading scorer Norman Powell (groin), starter Andrew Wiggins (toe), and role players Nikola Jovic (back) and Simone Fontecchio (groin), dominated from the opening tip. The Heat opened the first quarter with a 34-19 lead, fueled by a 20-10 advantage in points in the paint. Miami shot 56.5% from the field, while Detroit managed just 27.3%, going 1-for-9 from three-point range.

The Heat extended their lead to 25 points in the second quarter before taking a 67-48 advantage into halftime. Cunningham led all first-half scorers with 18 points, but his teammates combined for only 30 points, making just 1 of 13 3-pointers. Herro scored 16 points and Adebayo 14 for Miami in the first half, as the Heat controlled nearly every statistical category.

Miami stretched its lead to 103-80 after three quarters and cruised through the fourth to seal the win, improving their home record to 21-11.

-Field Level Media/Reuters