DETROIT, MI – The Detroit Pistons won an overtime THRILLER 125-124 over the Miami Heat!
Similar to last season’s matchup when the 2004 Pistons were honored, the Heat closed a big Pistons lead down the stretch. But this time they would come out with the victory, after sweating out the end of regulation and overtime.
Tyler Herro’s heroics with just under 7 seconds left in the game pushed the game to overtime. And it seemed all momentum belonged to the Heat after erasing a 20 point Pistons lead. But they kept fighting despite the odds against them.
The Pistons entered overtime having three starters just 1 foul call away from disqualification, and all of them finished the game. Which is a lot more impressive than it sounds. They played tough defense choosing not to sacrifice aggression trying to avoid the ref’s whistle. And the team was missing Jaden Ivey, a late scratch, and Isaiah Stewart who left the game early in the second quarter due to a knee injury.
And they still were able to secure the victory versus a Miami Heat team favored to win the game. Against heavy odds the Pistons shocked the fans, and even their coach to a degree. Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff is not surprised by the character of his team, but he was amused they found a way to win this one.
“We find ourselves in close games but our guys don’t quit,” coach JB Bickerstaff said. “They keep competing.”
“Sh*t! Somehow, we found a way to win.”
Heat Check!
Cade Cunningham and Malik Beasley have been the usual suspects carrying the scoring burden on most games. Cunningham scored 20 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds, with Beasley contributing an efficient 28 points (7-13 3PT).
Yes, you read that correctly. Cunningham had another triple-double, but game the credit to teammates in his post game press conference. Still found ways to facilitate for his team even after the game was over.
His coach isn’t surprised at all by the performance, and credited Cunningham’s intelligence in speaking on the win.
“He’s far and above his age and experience in understanding what teams are trying to do and take away from him,” Bickerstaff said. “And he does a great job of countering what defenses try to do.”
On this night Ausar Thompson would join the fray with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Thompson’s energy was a difference maker defensively, and offensively he was a hot knife through butter. He successfully slashed through the lane filling empty space created by teammates driving the lane.
Seems like a simple enough concept, but it’s why fans were optimistic the Pistons would surely have a better record if Thompson didn’t miss a large portion of the early season.
Thompson’s dives, rim rolls, and even complimentary facilitation were the perfect compliment to Cunningham’s offensive attack. And he was also able to assist efforts to reduce Cunningham’s usage on the defensive side of the ball.
This was truly a team win, but Thompson’s 2-way performance stood out even more with the Pistons’ injuries.
“That’s a huge win for us. They made it tough on us,” Cunningham said. “We were missing guys that are huge parts on our team, but others stepped up and it was huge for us.”
Can Fans Help?
The Pistons have playoffs on the mind and despite how improbable it sounded a few months ago, they have competed good enough to start the season. Since turning around an 0-4 start they’ve been in, or just outside NBA Play-In positioning.
But being in the conversation isn’t good enough to draw supporters back, though it would represent a big step in the right direction.
Fair or not, fans are seeking to have their dessert before they pull up for family dinner and let bygones be bygones. They’ve been hurt for going on almost two decades and have grown more cold over the last 5 years.
But is that the right strategy for a Pistons team with enough talent, and accommodating circumstances to actually make the playoffs?
The NBA’s Eastern Conference has several teams mixing the mark in regard to preseason expectation. The biggest culprits being the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets. Both teams were expected to have better starts, which makes it even more important to capitalize now.
This is where fans should show up and show out. Especially with the Pistons in the conversation for teams that could make the postseason.
At the end of the third quarter the Pistons had ballooned their lead over the Heat due to hustle and energy. Unable to contain their satisfaction fans rose to their feet with a cheer of validation. The environment was infectious and the players were visibly pumped up. Which is something Cade Cunningham remarked about during media day when stating the desire to have fans loudly in abundance.
For a season like the last two, I understand fan hesitancy to jump on board. But so far through a third of the 82 game schedule the Pistons are in the last Play-In spot, and three wins away from last seasons win total.
They might not be ready to compete for a championship, but they are competing nightly.
But is it enough for you to jump back on the bandwagon?
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Photo Credit: Brandon Dent – Woodward Sports Network