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MIAMI — The search for a win, any win, continues.
Something that last happened for the Miami Heat on March 3.
For a team that often talks about relief points, not enough were forthcoming for Erik Spoelstra’s team in Wednesday night’s 116-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center, a game decided by a banked-in 3-pointer by Cade Cunningham just before the final buzzer.
“The only thing we have to do now is you just stay the course, you stay with it,” Spoelstra said. “There’s no way to explain some of this. The banked shot at the end, there’s no way to explain that.
“We’re all getting tested in so many ways we don’t want to get tested.”
And so, the longest losing streak of Spoelstra’s 17-season coaching career now stands at nine.
While center Bam Adebayo, clearly thought enough was enough, closing with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and while teammates Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware tried to stand strong in support, it wasn’t enough. Not even with Herro closing with 29 points, Ware with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
As has been commonplace during the skid and even before, the Heat blew a double-digit lead, this time a 12-point advantage built in the first period.
And, as has been commonplace during the skid, another sizable fourth-quarter lead was squandered, up eight early in the final period.
Ultimately, the Heat were unable to overcome the 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists of Cunningham.
With the final three hurting the most.
But also bringing joy to the resurgent Pistons.
Asked if he called bank, Cunningham said with a laugh, “I might’ve whispered it. No one heard it though.”
Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:
1. Closing time: The Heat led 32-22 after the first period and 60-58 at half. Nonetheless, the Pistons’ 38 points in the paint over the first two quarters were the most in a first half against the Heat this season.
The Heat then took a 93-88 lead into the fourth, with Herro starting the period on the bench.
From there, the Heat went up 101-93 with 9:12 to play.
Herro then returned with the Heat up 101-07 with 7:27 to play, which is also when Adebayo took his fourth-quarter rest.
Adebayo quickly was summoned back to the scorers’ table, returning with 4:57 to play and the Heat up 107-104.
The Pistons then moved to a 110-109 lead, amid several uneven possessions by Ware.
Eventually the Heat forced a Pistons 24-second violation with 18.1 seconds to play, down 113-111.
After successive timeouts, unable to initially inbound, the Heat were able to get Herro to the line with 5 seconds to play, draining both to tie it 113-113.
That’s when Cunningham banked in his 3-pointer to win it.
“We did a lot of things very well and we had some of our better defenders out there,” Spoelstra said of the final play.
“You always want to get your team in a position worthy to win. We feel we’ve been worthy to win and simply haven’t been able to get the win,”
2. Taking charge: Adebayo was up to 20 points at halftime, including the basket that gave the Heat their intermission lead.
While his scoring against the Pistons’ muscle often came from the perimeter, he again showed how his scoring opens up when cast in a starting lineup alongside the size of Kel’el Ware.
Ultimately, only pain.
“I mean obviously you want that win,” Adebayo said, “you’re right there.”
Included in Adebayo’s scoring was a first-half 3-pointer, giving him 55 for the season. He entered with 23 over his first seven seasons. He then converted another 3-pointer in the third period.
“He and Tyler,” Spoelstra said, “just brought it from an urgency, an edge, a leadership standpoint.”
3. Herro, too: Herro also helped the Heat keep pace offensively, with 16 first-half points, like Adebayo, feasting from the midrange.
He was up to 23 points going into the fourth.
“He brought it all tonight, his whole skillset,” Spoelstra said, particularly praising Herro’s ability to get to the foul line and make the free throws that tied it 113-113.
“It’s tough,” Herro said of the loss. “You’re going through the highs and lows emotionally throughout a game and I thought we weathered the storm. ”
Mostly.
“You just got to tip your hat,” Herro said. Unfortunately, it’s another loss.”
4. Rotation revision: With Andrew Wiggins missing a second consecutive game with a leg contusion, the Heat unveiled their 22nd lineup of the season, yet another group that had not played a single minute together until starting together.
This time the first five was Adebayo, Herro, Ware, Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Shuffled out of the mix was Terry Rozier, with the Heat instead going off the bench, in order, with Davion Mitchell, Haywood Highsmith, Alec Burks and Pelle Larsson.
It was the fourth time in the last 14 games the Rozier was benched. He had played only a single, six-minute stint in Monday night’s loss to the New York Knicks.
5. Home run: The Heat’s five-game homestand continues Friday night against the Houston Rockets, followed by games Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, Tuesday night’s return by Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors and then a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
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Something that last happened for the Miami Heat on March 3.
For a team that often talks about relief points, not enough were forthcoming for Erik Spoelstra’s team in Wednesday night’s 116-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center, a game decided by a banked-in 3-pointer by Cade Cunningham just before the final buzzer.
“The only thing we have to do now is you just stay the course, you stay with it,” Spoelstra said. “There’s no way to explain some of this. The banked shot at the end, there’s no way to explain that.
“We’re all getting tested in so many ways we don’t want to get tested.”
And so, the longest losing streak of Spoelstra’s 17-season coaching career now stands at nine.
While center Bam Adebayo, clearly thought enough was enough, closing with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and while teammates Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware tried to stand strong in support, it wasn’t enough. Not even with Herro closing with 29 points, Ware with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
As has been commonplace during the skid and even before, the Heat blew a double-digit lead, this time a 12-point advantage built in the first period.
And, as has been commonplace during the skid, another sizable fourth-quarter lead was squandered, up eight early in the final period.
Ultimately, the Heat were unable to overcome the 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists of Cunningham.
With the final three hurting the most.
But also bringing joy to the resurgent Pistons.
Asked if he called bank, Cunningham said with a laugh, “I might’ve whispered it. No one heard it though.”
Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:
1. Closing time: The Heat led 32-22 after the first period and 60-58 at half. Nonetheless, the Pistons’ 38 points in the paint over the first two quarters were the most in a first half against the Heat this season.
The Heat then took a 93-88 lead into the fourth, with Herro starting the period on the bench.
From there, the Heat went up 101-93 with 9:12 to play.
Herro then returned with the Heat up 101-07 with 7:27 to play, which is also when Adebayo took his fourth-quarter rest.
Adebayo quickly was summoned back to the scorers’ table, returning with 4:57 to play and the Heat up 107-104.
The Pistons then moved to a 110-109 lead, amid several uneven possessions by Ware.
Eventually the Heat forced a Pistons 24-second violation with 18.1 seconds to play, down 113-111.
After successive timeouts, unable to initially inbound, the Heat were able to get Herro to the line with 5 seconds to play, draining both to tie it 113-113.
That’s when Cunningham banked in his 3-pointer to win it.
“We did a lot of things very well and we had some of our better defenders out there,” Spoelstra said of the final play.
“You always want to get your team in a position worthy to win. We feel we’ve been worthy to win and simply haven’t been able to get the win,”
2. Taking charge: Adebayo was up to 20 points at halftime, including the basket that gave the Heat their intermission lead.
While his scoring against the Pistons’ muscle often came from the perimeter, he again showed how his scoring opens up when cast in a starting lineup alongside the size of Kel’el Ware.
Ultimately, only pain.
“I mean obviously you want that win,” Adebayo said, “you’re right there.”
Included in Adebayo’s scoring was a first-half 3-pointer, giving him 55 for the season. He entered with 23 over his first seven seasons. He then converted another 3-pointer in the third period.
“He and Tyler,” Spoelstra said, “just brought it from an urgency, an edge, a leadership standpoint.”
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3. Herro, too: Herro also helped the Heat keep pace offensively, with 16 first-half points, like Adebayo, feasting from the midrange.
He was up to 23 points going into the fourth.
“He brought it all tonight, his whole skillset,” Spoelstra said, particularly praising Herro’s ability to get to the foul line and make the free throws that tied it 113-113.
“It’s tough,” Herro said of the loss. “You’re going through the highs and lows emotionally throughout a game and I thought we weathered the storm. ”
Mostly.
“You just got to tip your hat,” Herro said. Unfortunately, it’s another loss.”
4. Rotation revision: With Andrew Wiggins missing a second consecutive game with a leg contusion, the Heat unveiled their 22nd lineup of the season, yet another group that had not played a single minute together until starting together.
This time the first five was Adebayo, Herro, Ware, Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Shuffled out of the mix was Terry Rozier, with the Heat instead going off the bench, in order, with Davion Mitchell, Haywood Highsmith, Alec Burks and Pelle Larsson.
It was the fourth time in the last 14 games the Rozier was benched. He had played only a single, six-minute stint in Monday night’s loss to the New York Knicks.
5. Home run: The Heat’s five-game homestand continues Friday night against the Houston Rockets, followed by games Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, Tuesday night’s return by Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors and then a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
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