Wade helps Miami Heat defeat Detroit Pistons 106-92 (Part I)
The last time the Miami Heat played the Detroit Pistons in the 2010-11 season, LeBron James marshalled Miami to a thrilling one-point win. What followed was an eight-match winning streak that sparked Miami’s campaign to life after losing 5 of 6 down the
stretch in the preceding month.
On Friday night, the Heat entered the Palace of Auburn Hills to take on the Pistons again. However, this time around they had an extra perk attached to the game; the chance to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference.
With his team tied for top spot in the East with the Boston Celtics, Dwyane Wade scored 24 points, eight boards and seven assists to seal a 106-92 win for Miami. LeBron James also managed 16 points, 10 assists, four steals and eight rebounds, narrowly missing
out on a triple-double.
The two-time MVP however, had to fight more than just the Pistons on the night. LeBron was distracted early by a heckler, who was throwing barbs at his family. A fan who was seated near that heckler said that James told the trouble maker that he could say
whatever he wanted to about him, but if he swore again on his family they were “going to have a problem."
Afterward, James shrugged off the exchange. He said, "Guys get out of control, at times. I understand they are very passionate, but you need to know where to draw the line."
Chris Bosh had a good game, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mario Chalmers also got into double figures, combining for 20 points, while Mike Miller came off the bench to score 16 points.
For the Pistons, Rodney Stuckey found a place in the starting line-up, after his impressive display against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last match.
The starter’s curse though, soon caught up with the point guard. Stuckey managed only nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, as Tayshaun Prince finished as the Pistons’ only starter in double figures. He scored 11 points. Austin Daye led the Pistons with 18 points
off the bench while Ben Gordon, who made way for Stuckey on the night, finished with 16.
Miami got off to a blistering start on the night. A Rodney Stuckey three-point play was the only saving grace for the Pistons, as the red hot Miami offence sprinted to a 10-3 advantage inside the first three and a half minutes.
Tayshaun Prince however, restored some parity for Detroit as he nailed two consecutive jumpers to break Miami’s momentum. Miami however got back in their groove quickly, scoring on four of their next five possessions to re-take the initiative. The Pistons
though had the better of the last three minutes of the period, in which they outscored the visitors 8-1 to go into the break trailing by 21-25.
Miami looked like a different team going into the second quarter. The men from South Beach scorched the Pistons with a spate of three pointers and charity throws inside the first two minutes as they raced off to a 10-0 spurt. The early burst was followed
by a 14-3 spurt midway through the phase as Miami took control with a 57-39 advantage.
The Pistons though were in for some more battering, as the Heat finished a fantastic frame with a seven-point unanswered run, which sparked them to a 64-43 lead at half time.
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