Detroit Pistons at Miami HEAT Game Thread and Preview

The Miami HEAT host the Detroit Pistons Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT fell to the Pistons 93-92 in their last meeting on December 22. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 7:30 PM.

Game Notes:

• The HEAT have won seven of their last nine against the Pistons in Miami.
• Miami is 44-32 overall, while Detroit stands at 41-36. 
• Hassan Whiteside leads the HEAT in rebounds (11.8) and blocks (3.7) per game. 
• Reggie Jackson leads the Pistons in points (18.5) and assists (6.3) per contest. 

Efficiencies (Rank):

• HEAT Offense: 103.7 (T-12)
• HEAT Defense: 101.5 (T-6)
• Pistons Offense: 103.0 (T-17)
• Pistons Defense: 103.3 (13)

Miami Heat: New Big Three

The Miami Heat are near the end of the regular season and have clinched a spot in the post season. Last year they barely missed the playoffs which was a rarity since they had gone pretty much every year since Pat Riley and Dwayne Wade were in Miami. However due to illnesses and injuries (including 

Chris Bosh having a blood clot in his lungs) the post season was just not meant to be.

2016 is a fresh and new start for a whole new team. With young talent in draft steals Justice Winslow and Josh Richardson, along with second year player with the Heat Hassan Whiteside, Miami has built around new, young, and talented faces for the franchise. However the veterans have done their job too, Dwayne Wade, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, and Amare Stoudemire have all brought their experience and wisdom to help the young players develop and get the necessary wins for the team.

Pat Riley also added Joe Johnson who has brought something to the team that was lacking: the three point shooting. With him Miami's offense has increased dramatically going from almost dead last to close to first in the Eastern Conference.

After the Lebron era and four straight finals appearances it doesn't seem likely that a run like that will happen anytime soon. However with the talent of Winslow, Richardson, and Whiteside developing we could have a new big three. Winslow being Lebron because of attacking the basket skills, Richardson replacing Wade because of his speed and tenacity on the ball, and Whiteside taking the place of Bosh with his inside presence and mid range jump shot becoming more accurate.

Even though Miami might not make the Finals this year the future is bright. Even when Wade, and Bosh are ready to call it a career, they have three players who can take their places right away. When Lebron retires in Cleveland, Miami should very well be number one again and restore order to the NBA.

McRoberts working against clock for playoff rotation

Josh McRoberts has lived on the edge of the Miami Heat's rotation for two seasons when healthy. Yet every step taken with the versatile power forward seemingly is accompanied by something less than an endorsement.

Saturday's 16 1/2 minutes in the 110-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that closed out a 1-2 trip was no different.

"I like what J-Mac brings," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We always become a smarter team when he's out there. But I don't think his minutes were indicative of anything."

The pattern this season has been for Spoelstra to offer such opportunities, praise McRoberts, and then revert to McRoberts-less lineups.

"He brings his passing. And we're a little bit bigger, obviously, when we do that," Spoelstra said. "We wanted to go a little bit deeper into the rotation."

The Heat went nine deep with Saturday's game still in the balance, one more than Spoelstra recent has been utilizing, but it also came in the absence of guard Dwyane Wade, who has missed the past two games with neck and back soreness. Still, McRoberts wound uop playing nearly eight minutes more than stating center Amar'e Stoudemire.

"Obviously, you want to play in every game," said McRoberts, who was held out of the first two games on the trip. "'I'm professional. I'm here to be ready when my number's called."

McRoberts converted a pair of 3-pointers against the Trail Blazers, the only Heat player with more than one.

Asked if he attempts such shots to space the floor, McRoberts said, "I take 'em just to get three points. I don't know."

With just six games remaining in the regular season, time is growing short to make an impression for Spoelstra's playoff rotation.

"I don't really think about it like that," McRoberts said. "I just try to be ready and try to stay ready, and try to perform as well as I can."

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul to Join Dwyane Wade in Miami?

Miami Heat are one of the most successful franchises in the NBA and the biggest reason for that is their president, Pat Riley. Ever since Riley joined the team in 1995, the Heat have been one of the best teams in the league and their record and championships throughout all those years prove it. One of the biggest things Riley has achieved with the Heat was bringing top free agents to South Beach in 2010: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Could he do the same thing once again?

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have already played in Miami and in their four years together, the duo won two championships and went to the finals all four years. Could we see them team up once again, and bring their friends over as well, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony? 

Wade will most likely stay in Miami and retire there and James is no stranger to the city as well. On the other side, Anthony and Paul have never played for the Heat and they have also never won a championship. The whole idea of this super team started when LeBron said how he hopes to play with the other three players before he retires. The Cavaliers superstar said the following, per ESPN

I really hope that, before our career is over, we can all play together. ... At least one, maybe one or two seasons -- me, Melo, D-Wade, CP -- we can get a year in. I would actually take a pay cut to do that.

James already took a paycut once, when he decided to join forces with Wade in Miami. He'd be willing to do it again if it means playing with his best friends. Although all of these players are in their 30s, there is no doubt that they would form one of the strongest teams in the NBA if they teamed up. Also, this would be a great opportunity for Paul and Anthony to win their first championship ring, while LeBron and Wade would win their third and fourth rings respectively.

While Wade refused to comment much about this idea, Carmelo Anthony said that he would also take a pay cut to make it happen. He also added that he would like to go somewhere warm and there is no doubt he was referring to Miami. Wade, James and Anthony were both drafted the same year, 2003, and are in their 13th season. James was the top pick of the draft, Anthony was picked third and Wade fifth. Chris Paul was drafted two years later with the fourth overall pick.

It would be hard to form this super team, but not impossible, especially not with Pat Riley handling the situation. Riley showed that he's capable of making big teams, and forming another super team in Miami is not an impossible task for him. Of course, every player would have to take a pay cut and the team would need to find a good supporting cast, but there definitely is a possibility that we will see these four friends share the court before they retire.

Spoelstra says playoff race not about waiting, watching (as his players sneak a peek)

For the Miami Heat, Friday night essentially was a doubleheader. First there was the escape against the Sacramento Kings, then essentially a team viewing party for the final minutes of the Boston Celtics' victory over the Golden State Warrior
s.

While the focus for most of the nation was on the Warriors' push for the NBA's best single-season record, the concentration in the Heat locker room was on the Celtics and the too-close-to-call race in the middle of the Eastern  Conference playoff pack.

"We've said this all along that it's going to be a harrowing ride down the stretch, to the end," coach Erik Spoelstra said, as he turned his attention to Saturday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. "All of us are in virtually in the same spot for a reason.

"It's very competitive, not much margin of error for any team. But you can get caught watching what other teams are doing. But ultimately, it's in our hands."

That doesn't mean there wasn't a tangle disappointment in the Heat locker room Friday when the Warriors' Stephen Curry was off on a potential game-tying 3-pointer just before the final buzzer.

"We focus on our game," forward Luol Deng said, "but after the game we look at how the other teams did."

After remaining in Portland on Saturday night and then a Sunday flight back to South Florida, the Heat will have six remaining games, three at home (Detroit, Chicago, Orlando) and three on the road (Orlando, Detroit, Boston). All but the Magic remain in the thick of the playoff race. The regular season ends April 13. The playoffs open April 16.

"You can't wait for somebody else to not do it and benefit from that," Spoelstra said of the dangers of getting caught up in moments like Friday's Celtics-Warriors drama. "We want to drive this thing."

Deng's shot

When it comes to the season's biggest shots, Deng came up with a key contribution when he drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Heat up 110-104 with 45.7 seconds to play Friday.

The fact that it came in front of the Kings' bench, with Sacramento players doing their best to distract, made it all the more rewarding.

"I think when they make noise, you want to make it so bad," Deng said, with former Heat forward Caron Butler among those attempting to distract Deng. "If they were quiet, I've missed a lot of wide-open shots when it's quiet. By them  yelling, I wanted to make it really bad. So it just locked in."

Spoelstra said Deng's leadership was instrumental, with none of the Heat's tri-captains playing in Sacramento, with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh sidelined and Udonis Haslem not in Friday's rotation.

"Especially during the times of stress, it was his voice, getting guys organized," Spoelstra said. "And he's continued to make big shots, big plays for us."

Gerald Green drops 30 points on Kings for Heat win

The Miami Heat were without captain Dwyane Wade with neck and back soreness after a rough fall in L.A. The Heat needed to have a great group effort and that's exactly what they saw from the very beginning of the game against the Kings. Sacramento was without DeMarcus Cousins, suspended, and they didn't respond in the same way.

The Heat squandered a 24 point lead down to 1, but they were able to hang on and get the 112-106 win. Miami improves to 44-31 on the season and currently moves into 3rd in the East.

Game Overview
The Heat were down 16-20 to the Kings to start the game and then they took off. Miami went on a 23-4 run to finish the quarter. They were paced by Gerald Green who started the game hot. He scored 20 points in the first half. Miami as a team shot 63% in the half including 8-12 from three in the half. They led 66-48 at the break.

The second half, and mostly the fourth quarter was a different story. The Heat's biggest lead was 24, but the Kings slowly chipped away at it. Let byDarren Collison, the Kings took what was a comfortable game, and made it a game for most of the fourth quarter. The Heat simply stopped hitting so many three-pointers, and couldn't contain Collison in transition.

They lead got all the way down to 1, but Miami never let the Kings get the lead back. They hung on down the stretch with baskets from Joe Johnson and some free throws. The Heat shot 51% from the field for the game and had 5 players in double figures, while all 8 scored 6+ points.

Key Contributions
Gerald Green: He played a great three quarters and tallied 30 points through three. He didn't score in the fourth and made one really bone-headed decision that got him a technical and cut the lead to 1. But, filling in for Dwyane Wade, he made up for it with 5-9 from deep.

Darren Collison: Off the bench he had 26 points and was the catalyst for the Kings comeback. He drove to the lane and his mid range shot was on target. He made a living at the line, too.

Seth Curry: He got off to such a great start that it seemed like we were playing the other Curry. Seth had a career-high 21 points including 4-6 from deep.

Heat Core: Joe Johnson had 14 points, Luol Deng with 17 points, Goran Dragic had 18 points. Justise Winslow chipped in 12 off the bench and Whiteside had 13 rebounds.

Dwyane Wade's Health Update

Dwyane Wade has been playing very well lately and the Miami Heat won many games in that stretch. Unfortunately, in his last duel against Kobe Bryant, Wade was not victorious. Despite putting up amazing numbers, the Heat still fell short and lost the game in the overtime on Julius Randle's shot with less than two seconds left in the game. Still, Wade showed that he's feeling great and that he is playing the game at the highest level.

Although he was bothered by numerous injuries throughout the season, Wade's health seems to be fine now and he is not bothered by his knees anymore. The shooting guard has averaged 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in the last two games and he also shot incredibly efficiently from the floor, making 65% of his shots.

Miami Heat are still waiting for Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson, who will most likely be sidelined until the end of the regular season. Two of them may return for the playoff time, but it is still not clear how good they feel and if they will be able to play basketball this season anymore.