Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat take down the Pistons and stay a step ahead all game

The Heat honored Pat Riley Court the best way they could, playing like greyhounds and schooling the East’s top team. 

They ended the first half ahead by 19 on a steady diet of paint pressure and fastbreak strikes. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro set the mood with six combined baskets in the lane and three 3-pointers that carried them through the first half. 

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren kept trying to drag their crew out of the ditch, but the Heat answered consistently with second chances and 3-pointers, three of which belonged to Herro. The fourth quarter started with the hosts up 23 points and what followed was a formality despite Isaiah Stewart having a late, inconsequential burst for Detroit.

The Heat won 121-110, claiming their fifth in a row. They outscored Detroit 22-6 on the break, and 28-18 on second opportunities. Additionally, Herro, Davion Mitchell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware each logged at least four shots in the lane.

Coach Erik Spoelstra was pleased with Herro’s performance. He said, “He’s letting the game come to him. You don’t feel he’s pressing or trying to get anything back on any particular possession. He’s just letting our style of play create some advantages.”

Takeaways:

• The Heat are seven games above .500 (36-29) for the first time since Dec. 2, when they were 14-7 and the third seed. They needed this win badly as well because the Orlando Magic are in the race with them for the sixth seed and they own the tiebreaker after beating the Heat four times this year. Herro showed up, scoring 25 points on 50% shooting, which included four 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists against one turnover. 

• Herro and Mitchell were the only team starters who didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Their minutes went to rookie Kasparas Jakučionis (12) and Jaquez (9), who did well pressuring the ball throughout the game. 

• The Pistons are on a four-game losing streak, but were on the second night of a back-to-back, and Ausar Thompson plus Caris LeVert’s absences affected their perimeter defense. Miami’s attack scored 126 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 81st percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. It’s one of the team’s top wins of the season, and the defense had an easier job keying in on them since Cunningham is their only high-level shot creator. 

• Adebayo is in his ninth season and his 24 points on 41.2% shooting were enough to cross 10,000 regular-season points, and he did so on a catch-and-go move from the top to the cup. He’s the 17th player in team history to reach that mark, and Spoelstra said, “He came in not necessarily known as a scorer. He’s worked and willed his way into that.” Adebayo may not be as efficient as other reputable big men, but his motor is high, even while expending a ton of energy on defense. 

• Ware had a key role in making sure the Pistons never got back in the game, as he picked up two steals and two blocks on defense. He wasn’t afraid to show some physicality against Stewart, one of the league’s inflammable tough guys, either.