The Miami HEAT defeated the Detroit Pistons 116-103 Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Goran Dragic led the way for the HEAT with 23 points.
1. Dragic Strong in Second Half
Although Dragic had a slow first half due to some foul trouble, he certainly got things going after halftime. Whether it was catch-and-shoot 3-pointers or aggressive takes downhill, the Dragon delivered. As such, the point guard scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the second half. In total, Dragic tallied four assists and two boards to go along with his team-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
2. When it Waynes, It Pours
Even though Wayne Ellington had himself a nice start to the contest thanks to his constant movement off the ball, nothing could prepare Detroit for what was to come in the fourth quarter. Ellington essentially sealed the deal with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting in the period, including a crafty step-back three off a nice shot-fake.
The 29-year-old finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-7 from deep, and two assists.
3. Johnson Continues to Show His Versatility
After a few quiet offensive outings, James Johnson flipped the script and got off to a quick start against the Pistons. As usual, the forward handled the ball often and looked to either get into the paint or shoot from the elbows. Of course, Johnson also ran the pick-and-roll with Dragic at certain points in the game.
Let’s take a look at one such instance early on in the second quarter. With 10:11 to play in the period, Johnson set a screen on Ish Smith just past midcourt. Thanks to that, Dragic sprang free and then hit Johnson on the left elbow. From there, Johnson took a dribble, got Smith in the air with a shot-fake, absorbed contact from the guard and finished the play.
As the game progressed, Johnson continued to create for his teammates, this time as the pick-and-roll ball handler. In all, the versatile forward had 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, eight boards, five assists and two steals.
Other Takeaways:
-Dion Waiters got off to a quick start thanks to some tough finishes at the rim and a bunch of pull-up jumpers. While he cooled down a bit after the first quarter, the 25-year-old set up his teammates quite well. Waiters ended up with 17 points, three rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
-After a slow start to the game, Hassan Whiteside made his presence felt in the fourth quarter with five points, six rebounds (two offensive) and one block. Throughout the period, the big fella fought very hard on the offensive glass and also protected the rim well. Whiteside finished with nine points, two blocks and a team-high 12 boards (four offensive) against Detroit.
Game Note:
-Tyler Johnson (strained left shoulder), Josh Richardson (left foot sprain), Justise Winslow (right shoulder surgery) and Josh McRoberts (left foot stress fracture) sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT continues their four-game homestand on Monday night against the Nets at 7:30 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.
