Heat playoff hopes take another hit with loss to seventh-place Detroit Pistons in Miami
If the Miami Heat misses the playoffs for the third time in five seasons, games like Saturday will be the reason why. The Heat has hung around the fringes of the postseason mix in the Eastern Conference all season long — never climbing higher than the No. 5 seed and rarely dipping more than a few games worse than the No. 8 seed.
In front of 19,600 at AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami fell to the Detroit Pistons, 119-96. It was the Heat’s second loss this season to the Pistons, who currently hold the No. 7 seed and now a two-game cushion on the Heat. The Charlotte Hornets are in eighth place and 1 1/2 games ahead of Miami.
The Heat, which slipped into a tie for ninth place with the Orlando Magic after its latest loss, has struggled all season against the teams in similar position. Miami (26-32) is 1-1 against the sixth-place Brooklyn Nets, 0-2 against the seventh-place Charlotte Hornets, 1-2 against the Magic and now 1-2 against Detroit. All four teams are separated by two games and fighting for the last two playoff spots in the East.
The Heat’s issues Saturday began even before tipoff. Point forward Justise Winslow, who has started at point guard since the end of last year, was ruled out with left knee soreness. Forward James Johnson, another regular starter, sat out because of a strained AC joint in his left shoulder. Miami reinserted wing Rodney McGruder into the starting lineup, but he bruised his right knee in the second quarter, forcing the Heat to go with power forward Duncan Robinson, who has spent most of the season with the G League Sioux Falls Skyforce, to start the third quarter.
In the third, Miami, which once led by 11, watched Detroit (28-30) build its lead all the way to 15 before a mini-burst cut the deficit to 84-76 entering the fourth quarter.
In 98 seconds, the Heat’s work was erased. Guard Langston Galloway opened the period with a jumper, then shooting guard Luke Kennard banked in a jumper before Galloway dropped in an early dagger, sinking a three-pointer from the left wing. Coach Erik Spoelstra took a timeout as the Pistons’ lead ballooned back to 91-76 after a 7-0 run.
Galloway and Kennard helped lead a well-rounded effort for Detroit. Galloway, who scored two points in the first three quarters, erupted for 15 in the first five minutes of the fourth to finish with 17. Kennard added 17 of his own and All-Star post player Blake Griffin chipped in 20. Andre Drummond, the Pistons’ other star post player, logged a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Miami’s offense was stagnant without Winslow to be its motor. Combo guard Josh Richardson led the Heat with 22 and All-Star guard Dwyane Wade added 15, but the Heat shot just 43.2 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three-point range to lose for the eighth time in 10 games.
This story was originally published February 23, 2019 at 10:02 PM.
