Norman Powell catches fire, as the Heat fight off top-seeded Pistons

In a New Years Day match-up, the Heat made their way to Detroit to try and steal a win against the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.

No Tyler Herro or Pelle Larsson for Miami, who both are dealing with different lower leg injuries at the moment.

These two teams were playing extremely physical as expected, as Miami tried to fight off the late runs of Detroit after building a 20+ point second half lead.

So let's jump into some takeaways tonight from this big Heat win:

1. Norman Powell lighting it up from deep.

Dec 26, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts to a call during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The Pistons physicality and defensive ability is clear when matching up with them. They wall up around the basket, match scorers with size, and play with a lot of contact. So naturally the only way to open that up is with the three-ball. Norman Powell was the man for the job. He put up 19 points and 5 threes in the first half alone, as it was all through off the catch quick fires. With all the play-makers on the floor, he was just skating around the perimeter to find open space, and Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic, and others kept finding him. When he isn't reluctant to let that first open three fly, he's as dangerous as any. And we saw that in the first half tonight.

2. New look lineups involving the Heat's bench.

Jan 1, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) tries to drive to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

There were many parts of this game where the Heat's offense stalled. There were also parts of this game where things were opened back up through transition basketball. Almost every one of those instances was that Miami Heat bench group. No Pelle Larsson meant Kasparas Jakucionis was back with that group, but it didn't require the usual Andrew Wiggins + second unit like the last three games. With that huge Detroit front-line, Erik Spoelstra kept Bam Adebayo or Kel'el Ware on the floor with that group to eliminate Jovic at the five. Simone Fontecchio even made a second quarter entry with the Heat's shooting struggles, as he knocked down his first attempt. Even with the reserves looking a little different tonight, they still came up highly productive.

3. The defense deserves some love.

Dec 29, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks on against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The scoring was popping tonight. Powell draining threes, Mitchell throwing dimes, and Jaquez Jr gliding to the rim. But winning games against teams like this call for the defense to step up. The offense wasn't always as clean as that late second quarter or early third quarter. This team goes through lulls on that end, and forcing turnovers, preventing fouls, and contesting consistently kept Miami in front. Countering physicality with toughness of your own is crucial, and the Heat's front-court duo of Adebayo and Ware held it down. Mitchell and Wiggins deserve a ton of credit on the perimeter as well. Props to the effort on that end tonight.