Miami Heat (36-29) beat Detroit Pistons (45-18) 121-110 at home on Sunday, March 8, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Heat had the better start, winning the first 34-16 to lead by 18 after one. The Heat kept the pressure on with a 33-32 second quarter, carrying a 19-point lead into halftime.
The Heat won the third 36-32 to create some separation, taking a 23-point lead into the fourth. The Pistons took the fourth 30-18; the Heat held on for a 121-110 regulation win.
What decided it
The Heat grabbed 33.3% of their own misses, while the Pistons recovered 26.5%. The Heat made 24.7 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 21.1 for the Pistons. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Heat produced 120.7 points per 100 possessions to 109.7 for the Pistons.
The Pistons' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 44-31.
Who made the difference
Bam Adebayo was the game's biggest individual force for MIA: 24 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast on 7-17 shooting. His Game Score of 22.3 led everyone. His team was +13 with him on the floor.
Jalen Duren led the Pistons with 24 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast on 10-12 shooting, good for a 20.3 Game Score.
Cade Cunningham (26 pts, 1 reb, 10 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 52% for the Heat.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Detroit Pistons lead 4-2.
The Heat are now 36-29, and the Pistons are 45-18. The Heat last five before this game: L-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.