Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win ugly in Detroit, extending their win streak to four in a row

The Heat started the new year strong, claiming their fourth in a row in one of their top wins against the soaring Pistons in Detroit.  It was their second meeting of the season, and of course, it was decided in crunch time.  

It was only Detroit’s third home loss.  Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I think this was an important one for us to get…Detroit’s a good defensive team. You’re not just going to always be able to get what you want to, particularly in the half-court. 

The 3-pointers and drive-by layups were falling like raindrops early for the Heat, and they went on a 14-0 run late in the first quarter. 

Then the Pistons raised their intensity, walling off the lane to suppress the inside action. It didn’t help that the Heat were missing open treys, but Norman Powell rescued them with a quick burst of three deep jumpers and a floater through the lane, giving them a 63-54 lead going into halftime.

Cade Cunningham maneuvered his way to the line a few times, and the Pistons closed the quarter on an 11-5 run, but their offense was too limited, countering the Heat’s stream of triples. Jalen Duren also sprained his right ankle on a move into the lane and didn’t return. His absence left their defense unfastened, and the Heat maintained separation, making seven shots in the lane and pouring in four extra 3-pointers, including two from Powell. 

Subsequently, Paul Reed emerged as a threat for Detroit, and Marcus Sasser got loose. Cunningham caught the Heat’s schemes, but they were slow to rotate on multiple occasions, and their lead was sliced to two with 46.4 seconds left.  

Yet the Heat were bailed out by Jaquez, hitting a turnaround baseline jumper, and Mitchell stealing the inbound. 

They won 118-112.

Takeaways:

• Powell didn’t make any fourth-quarter field goals, but he was their only starter to shoot at least 50%. (52.2). It was also his second-highest scoring game in a Heat uniform (36), and a good chunk of his points were on off-script plays. He made half the team’s 3-pointers (7), too.

• The Heat’s strategy to double Cunningham in the fourth quarter was dangerous and they should have played tighter without helping. Nonetheless, serious teams find ways to get it done when their actions are neutralized. The Heat were ordinary in the half-court, but scored 26 fastbreak points, and benefited from Detroit’s 20 giveaways.  

• Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s ability to get his shot off when he wants, going at the rim, and his playmaking for others are a pivotal part of the Heat’s success. He comes in off the bench, keeping the offensive RPMs elevated. He finished with 19 points on 69.2% shooting, with three rebounds and five assists. 

• Miami’s double-big lineup gives the back line some teeth and allows fewer mismatches. They weren’t a big factor in the scoring department, but they combined for 27 rebounds and were a big part of why the Pistons only had six offensive boards.