How the Detroit Pistons lost to the Miami Heat on New Year's Day

So close, yet so far away.

The Detroit Pistons started off the new year with a 118-112 loss to the Miami Heat. Guard Cade Cunningham, who broke one million votes in the NBA's first All-Star fan vote returns, ended the night with 31 points as he shot a hefty amount of free throws.

A strong effort from the Heat was highlighted by 36 points from Norman Powell, who splashed home seven 3-pointers in a lights-out night from long range. Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s highlight plays guided him to 19 points in about 30 minutes of play.

Miami came out swinging with two early buckets from Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell, which set a decent tone for the Heat before Detroit slowed them down from inside the arc.

The Pistons evened things out with looks down low, where they kept up a solid rhythm with a decent arsenal inside and a few free throws. Duncan Robinson hit the Pistons' first 3-pointer halfway through the first quarter, which would be one of their two 3-point makes in the first quarter, while the Heat would start to run away with a lead as their offense sparked to life.

Miami would end the night with 14 makes on 39 tries from the 3-point line, while the Pistons slowed down from the arc after a recent hot streak from long range. They would still earn a mark of 34.6% behind four makes on six tries from guard Marcus Sasser.

The Pistons ended three of their last four games with 40% or more from the perimeter heading into the Miami matchup, but still ranked in the bottom half of the league in 3-point percentage.

Isaiah Stewart slotted into the starting lineup for the first time since an early-December win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The sixth-year Piston held his own when Detroit rolled with smaller lineups, including one that started to swing the game back into its favor in the second quarter. He would end the night with a team-leading five blocks, marking his third game with five blocks or more this season.

Dec. 23, 2025; Detroit Pistons v. Sacramento Kings. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images — Dec 23, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) shakes hands with guard Jaden Ivey (23) after a play against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Heat alternated between winning and losing streaks entering Thursday's battle. They countered a three-game skid with three big-time victories to cap off 2025, including a blowout win over the Denver Nuggets.

Their offense exploded as they scored a league-leading average of just over 138 points per game in their last three matchups after slowing down in their December schedule. Detroit's defense, which ranked second in the NBA with a rating of 110.7 heading into the evening matchup, was matched by a Miami squad that held the Pistons to a sub-par mark from the 3-point line.

Detroit will stay home for six of its next seven games following a lengthy Western Conference road trip that ended with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Pistons held the NBA's fifth-highest win percentage on the road this season heading into Thursday's game, Detroit has built its defining campaign off its time at Little Caesars Arena, where it held a 12-2 record going into the New Year home bout.

The Pistons won't travel far in their one road game to kick off the new year as they take to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers to try to even the regular-season score after an October loss.

The Pistons will take on the Cavaliers at 2 p.m. EST on Sunday in Rocket Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network.