12/23/2021 07:30 EST Detroit Pistons @ Miami Heat

[casimir]

   

Detroit Pistons (5-25) vs Miami Heat (19-13)

[casimir]

This was an entertaining game that the Pistons actually led for a good deal of the game.  It wasn't always pretty, but damnit, as outmanned and outclassed as they were on the floor, they gave Miami a run for it all night.  I hate to be all orange slices and participation ribbons about an NBA game, but they kept me drawn in simply because the effort kept them in it until the end.

And there was the Udonis Haslem sighting.  Hey, good for him to still be playing, even though he's really just an assistant coach wearing a jersey.  And, sure, it was a reduced Miami roster that got him into the game.  But keep it going as long as you can, young man.

[1984Echoes]

They were raining 3-pointers (didn't watch, just perusing the box score) and hitting them at a 45% rate.

Unsustainable... but if this team could improve on those 3-pointers, as a team... It will be a critical component of future success.

3-pointers season-to-date a teamwide 31.3%. Finish the remaining games at a 36% rate and it changes (I don't want to say "everything" but...) almost everything?

The Warriors are above 36%, not certain how many other teams are. That is probably a ridiculous ask for these Pistons...

But... that's my ask.

 

[Betrayer]

Pistons certainly made it fun to watch, but you pretty much knew they would come up short in the end.

Lyles game looked nice on paper, but Miami knew just who to go after on the other end. They ran a screen to get him defending the guard (usually Lowry) every time down the court and it resulted in either a layup or a wide open look for a Heat player after the help had to come. They just picked him apart and he gave up as much as he got on the offensive end, if not more.

Josh Jackson is abysmal. Mistake after mistake. I have no idea what happened to him, but he seems to have completely regressed.

CoJo can play 42 minutes in a game like this but this team won't play its 20 year old starters more than 25 minutes on most nights...?

Another nice game from Bey who seems to be figuring some things out since donning the headband.

Would really like to have seen more Garza in this game. What could it hurt? It's not like we're winning games. Instead they rolled Cheick Diallo out there and went small a lot.

It's going to be a long couple of weeks without Cade, Stewart, and Hayes.