Detroit − As time winds down on the NBA’s regular season, the Pistons looked to finish a disappointing season on a strong note by hosting the Miami Heat in the first of their final two games at Little Caesars Arena.
The Pistons aimed to snap a nine-game losing streak, but there were more important matters at hand for the Heat, which looked to increase their chances of clinching the Southeast Division title with a win.
The stakes were high as the Heat began to prioritize its defense on Jaden Ivey, who scored a game-high 30 points for the Pistons. Detroit trailed by three with three minutes left when Heat forward Jimmy Butler scored five consecutive points to give the Heat a 107-99 lead and comfort to cruise the rest of the way.
The Pistons nearly played spoiler as it almost overcame a 17-point deficit, but they dropped their 10th straight game in a 118-105 loss to the Heat.
With the loss, the Pistons dropped to 16-63. Miami improved to 42-37.
Butler put on a clinic in the fourth quarter, when he scored 18 of his team-high 27 points in the fourth half after only totaling two points in the first half. Heat guard Gabriel Vincent played a crucial part in helping Miami build their early lead in the first half with his 3-point shooting. He finished with 22 points on 6-of-11 from 3-point land.
BOX SCORE: Heat 118, Pistons 105
Jalen Duren regained his starting position and tallied a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds. Isaiah Livers had 15 points on 4-of-6 from the 3-point line.
Detroit will host the Brooklyn Nets in its home finale on Wednesday, which will also mark the final time the team will wear their nostalgic classic teal uniforms.
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Here are other observations from Tuesday’s loss:
Ivey shines: There wasn’t a player on the floor better than Ivey on Tuesday night. The rookie guard had one of his most efficient games of the season. He scored 25 points on 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from distance. The performance was right in front of his mother, Niele Ivey, who sat courtside to watch her son play one of the final games of his rookie season. Ivey not only took what Miami gave him, shooting nearly every time a defender went under a screen, but he made sure to spread the wealth for his teammates. Midway through the fourth quarter, Ivey drilled a fadeaway jumper to give the Pistons a three-point lead. It was a shot that looked good, and apparently dealt good, as he high-fived fans sitting courtside after the ball went through the net. Ivey is not the same player he was at the start of the season, offensively and defensively. In a season full of losses, that’s a big win for Detroit.
Wiseman’s aggressiveness: Wiseman, who started alongside Duren for the first time this season, made the most of his early time on the floor He took six shots in the first five minutes of the game, which were mostly jumphooks. The 7-foot center played well as he totaled 14 points and six rebounds on 6-of-14 from the field.
Livers’ injury scare: Isaiah Livers has had more than his fair share of injury luck in the first two seasons of his NBA career. The second-year forward suffered another setback in the early moments of Tuesday’s game after tweaking his right ankle while getting fouled on a 3-point attempt. Livers managed to shake off the pain momentarily and made all three free throws in order to stay eligible to return to the game, but he went directly to the locker room at the next dead ball. He returned to the game at the 5:48 mark of the second quarter, but he still showed signs of pain as he grimaced from time-to-time. That didn’t stop him from making shots as he sank two triples towards the end of the first half to bring the Pistons within six points. He finished with 15 points and three rebounds on 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. Even more impressive than the scoring, was that Livers was able to play through what appeared to be another serious injury.
Hot dog champ visits LCA: Joey Chestnut, the 15-time champion of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was among several notable faces inside Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday. Chestnut, who holds the world record for most hot dogs eaten (76), devoured seven coney dogs in 60 seconds during the third quarter in an effort to raise money towards Forgotten Harvest. Combined with a couple of other Pistons employees, the donation total was rounded to $25,000. Chestnut also made an appearance at Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan on Monday alongside Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2