Eight losses in a row. It’s bad. The Miami Heat need a win. Not for playoff positioning or any sort of proof of concept. Just for morale.
The Heat host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, a team that lost 27 straight games and accumulated all of 14 wins last season and now is firmly ahead of the Heat in the Eastern Conference pecking order.
Here’s what to know for Wednesday night’s tilt.
How to watch Heat vs Pistons
Time: 7:30 pm ET
Location: Kaseya Center, Miami
TV: FanDuel Sports Network, ESPN
Stream: ESPN, NBA League Pass, Fubo
Notable injuries
Andrew Wiggins (left lower leg contusion) and Alec Burks (lower back strain) are questionable. Nikola Jovic (broken hand) and Dru Smith (Achilles) remain out with longterm injuries.
Josh Christopher, Isaiah Stevens and Keshad Johnson are away from the team on G League assignment.
For the Pistons, their core rotation is healthy and available.
Key matchups
Defending Cade Cunningham: Coach Erik Spoelstra has experimented with three different starting lineups over the last three games, but a constant has been Davion Mitchell coming off the bench. Against the Celtics, whose primary ball handlers are wings; the Grizzlies without Ja Morant and the Knicks without Jalen Brunson, the Heat didn’t need Mitchell’s point-of-attack defense from the tip.
That could be a different story against Cunningham, who has blossomed into an elite playmaker and a matchup nightmare. The 6-foot-2 Mitchell might not be the answer for the 6-foot-6 Cunningham, but he’ll help. Spoelstra could also slot the longer Haywood Highsmith on Cunningham. Either way, it will take a village. Cunningham is averaging the 12th-most points and third-most assists in the league and is a shoo-in for All-NBA this season.
Bam Adebayo vs Jalen Duren: Adebayo has been in a funk lately. After averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds over a six-game stretch to start the month, he’s posting 11 points and 7 rebounds over his last four.
Adebayo is 10th in the league in total minutes. Maybe fatigue has set in. But he needs to ramp it up against the big Jalen Duren, especially on the glass. Duren is one of the league’s best offensive rebounders. The Heat can’t afford to give away extra possessions.
On the flip side, can Duren contain Adebayo? Sometimes it feels like Adebayo is the only one who can stop himself.
Betting
The Pistons are 4.5-point favorites in Miami.