The Miami Heat defeated the Detroit Pistons 97 - 96 Tuesday at the Palace in Auburn Hills. With 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game, the Heat (36 - 38) found themselves down by four points after having blown a double - digit lead. After that, madness occurred, as a Stanley Johnson technical foul, a Goran Dragic jumper and a jump ball that ended up in Miami's hands over the next 20 seconds gave the visiting team the ball with a chance to win. After a James Johnson missed jumper and a missed put - back from Dragic, Hassan Whiteside came to the Heat's rescue with a gentle tip - in as the buzzer sounded. With that tip, the Heat greatly improved their chances of making the playoffs, while the Pistons chances worsened. Dragic led the way for Miami with a game - high 28 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes, while Whiteside's streak of 15 straight games with a double - double came to an end Tuesday, but just barely, as the big man finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes. Off the bench, James Johnson produced in a big way, making important plays down the stretch and recording 16 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes as a reserve. Most importantly, the Heat maintained their spot as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. As for the Pistons (34 - 41), their collapse results in them now being 3 games behind Miami for the last playoff spot, as they have now lost five games in a row. They were led Tuesday night by the heroics of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who led the team back after falling behind by double figures and finished with a team - high 25 points in 37 minutes. Ish Smith also came up big as the team's starting point guard, scoring 16 points and dishing out six assists. Tobias Harris, in a return to a role off the bench, scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in 30 minutes. Up next, the Pistons will look to end their losing streak at home against Brooklyn on Thursday, while the Heat will head to New York on Wednesday to take on the Knicks.
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