Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat start four-game road trip with win in Detroit over the Pistons

The visiting Heat exchanged 10 leads with Simone Fontecchio’s Pistons in the first half, then shut off the hosts in quarters three and four, taking the first game of the weekend miniseries in Detroit.

The Heat were absent Tyler Herro (foot) and Kevin Love (heel). The Pistons were missing Quentin Grimes (knee) and Ausar Thompson (illness).

Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Terry Rozier and Nikola Jović powered up early, making the first five of seven baskets for the guests. After that flurry, the Pistons still couldn’t stop Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr. from posting up smaller defenders for baskets or Jović, Robinson and Caleb Martin’s drive-bys in the paint.

Defensively, one of the few positives was that its pressure forced five turnovers-three were steals in the passing lane. But the Heat were picked apart by Jaden Ivey’s passing and roasted by Fontecchio. The latter canned a right-wing pick and pop three against no recovery, curled on the right side around Jalen Duren for a layup after the catch and a buried fadeaway over Robinson on the baseline.

Duren followed his lead, picking up four boards, dunking powerfully off a rim roll in the half-court, and slamming another, trailing in transition. Twelve-year veteran Evan Fournier added six points. The rest of the Pistons logged three of 12 shots to start.

Through 12 minutes, the Heat was behind 27-28.

Next, Ivey dished out four more assists. Duren flushed three vicious dunks, two off pick and roll, plus one on the break. Fontecchio, looking like a made man, hit a triple on each wing and flew into the paint, securing an offensive rebound away from Adebayo’s grasp and quickly put it back up. And the other Pistons converted 23% of shots.

On the Heat’s side, Adebayo was possessed. He recovered five boards and registered seven of nine attempts in the frame, totaling 16 points. Two of those seven baskets included a mean putback jam over Duren and a top-of-the-key catch-and-shoot banger.

JJJ was the sole other Heatle to make more than one field goal in the second quarter, but he recorded 29% of ventures. And Robinson swished the only extra 3-pointer in the frame.

At halftime, the Heat was ahead 56-54 but behind on the glass by three. The squad had 36 paint points, 13 on the break, 10 via second chances, 20 after turnovers and 11 from the bench. Adebayo punched in 16 points, making 70% of his field goal attempts, with seven boards. Butler and Martin had nine apiece on the scoring ledger. Rozier racked up eight points on a quarter of his tries, plus two rebounds.

The Pistons had 24 interior points, 11 in the open court, five on extra tries, 12 after turnovers and nine from the reserves. Fontecchio noted 16 points on six of 10 shots with four rebounds. Duren had 11 on his scorecard, and 10 rebounds. Ivey had eight points and nine dimes.

Afterward, the Heat held Ivey to zero assists and one of six makes from long and short distance in the third quarter. But Cunningham resumed playmaking duties, setting up two Fontecchio jumpers, and orchestrating layups to Duren and Isaiah Stewart. No Piston tallied more than two field goals, and the hosts shot 40% for the frame.

Adebayo and Co. outearned the Pistons by 10 on the scoreboard, but the burning Heatles were Robinson and Rozier. Robinson spilled three triples on consecutive possessions to give the crew an 18-point lead. Rozier made four freebies and beat Cunningham twice -spinning past him in the lane for a reverse layup and dribbling by him, dropping a left-handed floater. And Adebayo amassed three spare finishes in the square.

The fourth began with the Heat above 84-72. A Martin flurry provided nine points, helping push the lead to 19 over the quarter’s initial six minutes. Backup center Thomas Bryant checked in, adding 11 points on five of eight opportunities. The rest of the Heat made two of 10 tries.

Defensively, the Pistons were held to 45% shooting in the fourth. Cunningham and James Wiseman were the only hosts to record multiple field goals. And Ivey and Marcus Sasser combined to miss four makeable 3-pointers on the wings and corner.

The Heat won 108-95 and ended a four-game losing streak. The group tallied 64 paint points, 18 on the break, 10 on second chances, 33 after turnovers and 31 from the bench.

Adebayo had 22 points on 10 of 14 attempts, with nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks. Rozier scored 18 points on 33% shooting, plus picked up five rebounds. Martin notched 18 points and eight rebounds. And Butler had 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Pistons had 38 interior points, 11 in the open court, nine on added chances, 12 after turnovers and 21 from the reserves.

Fontecchio supplied 24 points on nine of 16 looks with six rebounds. Duren had 15 points on 77.8% shooting, plus 17 rebounds. And Ivey produced 14 points on three of 14 attempts, with nine assists.

Bryant handled the on-court interview. When asked about the defense creating turnovers, he said, “It was a lot of activity out there. A lot of talk, communication… We just try to be as connected as we can out there with high hands. [It was a] great defensive effort out there.”

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about Adebayo’s domination. He said, “He wanted to make sure that he was going to impose his will on this game, and he did it on both ends of the court…That’s what your leaders do. In these tough moments of a season, they step up, and you just follow them.”

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