MIAMI — The Detroit Pistons haven’t been good this season, as their record indicates.
But they’ve been even worse without their No. 1 pick.
Cade Cunningham missed Tuesday’s road game against the Miami Heat with a non-COVID illness. The Heat, who own the best record in the Eastern Conference, appeared to have an straightforward win ahead of them.
It was anything but.
The Pistons (18-51) fell against the Heat, 105-98, but it required a big night from Tyler Herro (29 points) and a spirited 16-point fourth quarter from Max Strus. A 21-3 Heat run threatened to put the game away early in the third quarter, but the Pistons answered with a 19-0 spurt that gave them a 73-68 lead with 1:45 to play in the the third quarter.
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A midrange jumper from Jerami Grant, who led the Pistons with 22 points, tied the game at 89 with less than four minutes left. But Miami closed the game with a 16-9 run to pull away with the victory.
Rookie Isaiah Livers had a breakout game, finishing with a career-high 16 points (6-for-7 overall shooting, 4-for-5 from 3), six rebounds and three assists. Marvin Bagley III added 13 points and six rebounds. Isaiah Stewart returned from a three-game absence, and led the Pistons with eight rebounds and two blocks.
Jimmy Butler left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle.
The Pistons are now 1-15 this season without Cunningham.
Isaiah Livers breaks out
If he weren’t already well-known by many Pistons fans due to his standout four-year career at Michigan, Livers would’ve been a man of mystery this season. The 42nd pick of the 2021 draft had to wait until Dec. 16 to make his debut, due to a stress fracture in his right foot suffered during the Big Ten Tournament last March. He had to wait more than two more months to play his second NBA game, due to soreness in the same foot.
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But Livers has been firmly in the rotation since Feb. 27, and has improved each week. Tuesday was the best game of his career, the first time cracking double-digits in scoring. He hit his first six shots, including his first four 3-pointers, and helped keep the Pistons afloat late with seven points in the fourth quarter.
Livers has now made seven of his last nine 3-pointers, and is showcasing why Dwane Casey and his teammates have spoken highly of his behind-the-scenes play and work ethic.
Isaiah Stewart returns, proves value
Stewart was only credited with one block, but his rim protection stood out. He shut down multiple Heat drives, including a defensive possession in the first quarter where he snuffed out a drive by Duncan Robinson, rotated to contest Kyle Lowry at the rim and then blocked Bam Adebayo’s layup attempt.
He missed three consecutive games this past week with a bone bruise in his right knee, but he looked like his usual self against Miami. The biggest downside to the night is that he had to battle foul trouble. Stewart picked up his second foul with 6:37 to play in the first, and was limited to just 21 minutes as a result.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press now has a digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons fight hard minus Cade Cunningham, get burned by Heat
