The Miami HEAT fell to the Detroit Pistons 93-92 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Chris Bosh led the way for the HEAT with 20 points.
1. The Captains Do Well
Although Miami fell just a tad short, both Dwyane Wade and Bosh did all they could to try and get the win. Bosh was key in a late run for Miami that spanned from the end of the third into the fourth quarter. He scored 11 points in that 17-8 run that put the HEAT up 83-78 with 7:33 left. Throughout the game, Bosh mixed it up with his usual mid-range jumpers and aggressive drives to the hoop.
One of those instances came with 6:41 left in the second quarter when he set a screen for Josh Richardson at the left wing and rolled to the top of the circle. Richardson then gave it to Bosh, who aggressively drove inside past Anthony Tolliver and slammed it over Andre Drummond to put the HEAT up 42-34 early.
While Bosh had a strong outing, Wade was also very active on both ends against the Pistons. He had a very quick start and poured in 10 of his 19 points in the first half thanks to action off the pick-and-roll with Hassan Whiteside. Wade had a bunch of nifty drives throughout the game and also a few mid-range jumpers.
Let’s not forget that he also went back to his bag of tricks and had a fantastic move with 7:22 left in the third quarter. On that play, he drove inside after a Bosh screen, went behind-the-back against Ersan Illyasova and then hit him with a ball fake. Since the move got Illyasova in the air, Wade was then able to convert the easy finish inside.
Both Wade and Bosh received some great looks to win the game, but they unfortunately didn’t fall. Wade finished with 19 points and five boards, while Bosh totaled three boards and two assists to go along with his 20 points.
2. Whiteside vs. Drummond Part 2
For a majority of the game, Whiteside got the best of Drummond in their second meeting this season. Early on, Whiteside fought very hard on the offensive glass and gave Miami a bunch of second-chance opportunities. He also made nothing come easy for Drummond and defended him pretty well.
Otherwise, Whiteside converted some hook shots and a few of his usual slams inside against Detroit. On one play in the third, he made Drummond pay for gambling on a steal and slammed it home off the dribble. Late in the contest, Whiteside had a big rebound to give the HEAT another shot to win the game after Drummond missed two free throws. The 26-year-old tallied 16 points, 16 rebounds (six offensive) and four blocks against the Pistons.
3. Beno Udrih Wastes No Time
On Tuesday night, Udrih certainly made his presence felt in his first start since April 15. In the first quarter, Udrih was very aggressive and knocked down a number of mid-range jumpers both off screens and off the dribble. He also looked a lot like Goran Dragic on this great feed to a cutting Bosh.
Udrih carried over his hot start into the beginning of the third quarter, where he scored six of his 14 points. He connected on a few nifty layups in the second half, including one where he took it coast-to-coast on the break. Udrih shot 7-of-11 for his 14 points, dished out six assists and grabbed three boards on the night.
Other Takeaways:
-While Bosh’s dunk in the second quarter was absolutely fantastic, perhaps Justise Winslow had the dunk of the night.
With 1:52 to go in the third, Winslow stole the ball from Stanley Johnson, sped down court and threw down the massive one-handed jam over Illyasova.
-The HEAT will be back in action on Christmas Day against the New Orleans Pelicans at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tip-off is set for noon.
Game Note: Goran Dragic (wrist), Tyler Johnson (shoulder) and Josh McRoberts (knee) sat out.