CHICAGO -- Up against a stingy Miami Heat defense, the Detroit Pistons knew that running the ball whenever possible is a viable option for winning.
And that's exactly what Detroit did on Tuesday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, using a running attack en route to a 108-91 victory. The decisive blow came in the opening quarter where the Pistons unleashed a 25-1 spurt that turned an 11-8 deficit into a 33-12 lead.
Point guard D.J. Augustin presided over the onslaught with 25 points and 13 assists. Kentavious Cladwell-Pope finished with 18 points while Andre Drummond had 14 points and 14 boards. Kyle Singler and Greg Monroe combined for 25.
"This was a team win. Everyone was running the floor, and everyone was playing defense and making shots," Augustin told the Associated Press.
Still 2.5 games out of a playoffs berth in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons improved to 19-30 by shooting 42 of 88 from the field (47.7 percent) and 9-of-20 from 3-point range. Detroit also outrebounded Miami, 45-35 and issued four more assists with 27.
Chris Bosh recorded 34 points to lead Miami while Chris "Birdman" Andersen added 12. Hassan Whiteside finished with another fine effort, 11 points and 10 boards, and Luol Deng got 10.
But the Heat couldn't cope with the Pistons, who outscored Miami 48-36 in the paint. Detroit also had 22 fast break points against the Heat's four.
At 21-27, the Heat dropped to eighth place in the East. (Homer D. Sayson)
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by Homer D. Sayson.