Detroit Pistons top Miami Heat in overtime, Cleveland Cavaliers cruise past Brooklyn Nets
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Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham dribbles around Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in overtime at Little Caesars Arena.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DETROIT – Cade Cunningham delivered a triple-double and Tim Hardaway Jr. came up big in overtime, as the Detroit Pistons held off Miami 125-124 in a thriller on Dec 16 that snapped the Heat’s four-game winning streak.
The Pistons had looked to be in full control in Detroit, holding an 18-point lead with 8min 5sec remaining in the fourth quarter of the National Basketball Association (NBA) clash. But the Heat roared back, tying the score at 114-114 on Tyler Herro’s three-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation.
Cunningham came up empty on a potential game-winner and the Heat scored the first eight points of the extra session, before Hardaway delivered three straight three-pointers to put the Pistons ahead 123-122.
Jimmy Butler’s putback layup put Miami back on top by one, but Cunningham’s banked-in shot gave the Pistons a 125-124 lead with 37.5 seconds remaining as Detroit escaped with the win.
Cunningham finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 18 assists for his sixth triple-double of the season.
“It’s what my job is, it’s what my responsibility is,” he said. “I just try to give it up for my teammates. Growing up that’s what I always dreamt of – being a guy that could do everything.”
Malik Beasley made seven three-pointers on the way to a team-high 28 points to help the Pistons withstand Butler’s triple-double of 35 points, 19 rebounds and 10 steals.
Miami failed to gain ground in the Eastern Conference led by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who improved their league-best record to 23-4 with a lopsided 130-101 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn.
Evan Mobley scored 21 points to lead seven Cavs players who scored in double figures. Caris LeVert added 19 off the bench and Donovan Mitchell scored 18 for Cleveland, who led by as many as 37 points.
Asked about his team’s shooting prowess, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said: “They have it. Our best players like Donovan... those guys are kind of like our quarter-backs. So when they distribute, everything flows from there.”
The short-handed Philadelphia 76ers, fuelled by 40 points from Tyrese Maxey and 33 from Paul George, spoiled the return from injury of Hornets star LaMelo Ball with a 121-108 win in Charlotte. Ball, who was averaging 31.1 points per game when he strained his calf on Nov 27, returned to action with 15 points, five rebounds and 11 assists.
Miles Bridges led Charlotte’s scoring with 24 points, but the 76ers led virtually all the way despite the absence of star center Joel Embiid and Rookie of the Year contender Jared McCain.
The Sixers said that Embiid would miss at least a week after suffering a sinus fracture on Dec 14, and McCain needs surgery on a torn meniscus. AFP
