Did Miami Expose a Worrying Weakness in Detroit’s Game?

After promising performances against the Washington Wizards, the Detroit Pistons ran into a frontcourt brick wall.

Nov 14, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It didn’t happen until the second quarter, but the Miami Heat exposed the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

Despite shooting 57% from the field and scoring 39 points in the first quarter, Detroit slumped from the second quarter onward, falling to a 137-117 loss on South Beach.

It started promising, but it soon turned into a disaster unfolding before the Pistons’ very eyes, and they seemed unable to stop the Heat’s relentless attack.

The Pistons truly missed Jalen Duren

The Pistons started well, but from the second quarter onwards, the Heat outscored Detroit 100-78.

They did that by using their size and presence under the basket to bully the Pistons, and on this night, Detroit missed Jalen Duren.

Still absent and expected to remain sidelined for at least another two weeks with a right hamstring strain. Detroit, as expected, turned to power forward John Collins at centre.

But despite how impressive he has been at that position, which has helped the Pistons become a quicker team, he struggled to cope with Miami’s size and physicality.

Finger roll 🤌 pic.twitter.com/1FJCRMrMHn

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 15, 2026

Heat’s lengthy Giannis Antetokounmpo took full advantage, scoring 34 points on 13-for-17 shooting, while Bam Adebayo contributed 20.

Detroit’s undersized defenders repeatedly struggled against Miami’s frontcourt, committing 28 personal fouls and sending the Heat to the free-throw line 40 times. Adebayo led the way with 13 attempts, while Antetokounmpo added nine.

Miami also got it done defensively, bagging 14 blocks, just one short of their own franchise record, with nine different players getting on the stat sheet.

Detroit finished shooting just 40.2% from the field and managed only 36% after the opening quarter as Miami tightened its grip on the paint. The first period was positive, but that was as good as it got.

Relying on Cade Cunningham

Putting the offensive burden on Cade Cunningham might work well a few times, but against elite teams in the NBA – no disrespect to the Wizards – it simply can’t happen.

Cade with the bucket + the foul pic.twitter.com/82KH3Detex

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 15, 2026

Following his 52-point double-overtime performance against Washington on Thursday, Cade Cunningham once again shouldered the offensive load, finishing with 33 points and eight assists.

Beyond Cunningham and Kevin Huerter, who added 20 points, Detroit's supporting cast struggled to produce efficiently in the half-court.

In a nutshell, Miami punished Detroit's small-ball lineups more severely than the Pistons’ earlier opponents did. And for Detroit, they will face another major frontcourt test on Tuesday when they head to Texas to face the 11-2 San Antonio Spurs.