Inside the Detroit Pistons bounce back in Duncan Robinson's return to Miami Heat

In the midst of a two-game skid and pressure building on the shoulders of the Detroit Pistons, they exited the Kaseya Center feeling that a weight had been lifted. But was it?

Thanks to 29 points from Cade Cunningham and an emotional return to Miami for Duncan Robinson, who piled on 18, the Pistons overcame the Heat 138-135 on South Beach.

It was all so comfortable for Detroit, leading by 22 points with four minutes of the fourth quarter played, but the Heat found their rhythm and got it to within two points at 133-131 with 34 ticks left through Bam Adebayo’s putback.

Cunningham would hit a clutch bucket on the following possession, and Detroit were able to hang on to improve to 16-4, their best 20-game start since going 17-3 in the 2005-06 season.

29 points for the MotorCade pic.twitter.com/OFj6IQjLPr
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 30, 2025

Make no mistake, though, it was a lucky escape for the Pistons as it keeps them at the top of the Eastern Conference going into December. They started so well, but allowed the Heat back into the game, making the win almost more complicated than it needed to be.

Once again, Cunningham bailed them out; however, they will look to Monday’s clash with the Atlanta Hawks to build on their momentum and try to reclaim that mean streak that saw them vanquish 13 straight opponents.

Veteran Tobias Harris would amass 26 points, shooting a solid 10-for-12 from the floor. But despite the result, the story of the game was that of Miami’s former fan favorite, Robinson.

Suiting up on an opposing team for the first time since he was traded to the Pistons in the offseason, Robinson spent seven seasons with the Heat, becoming their career three-point leader.

Despite moving away to the Motor City, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra still considers him as one of his all-time favorites.

“It’s one of the great all-time Miami Heat success stories," Spoelstra said of Robinson.

"We all are extremely happy for him. He does look strange in blue. It doesn’t look normal. But that’s life in the NBA.”

A remarkable story, as Robinson was not even a starter for much of his high school career, he later began college at Division III Williams, then headed to Michigan, went undrafted, and became Miami's key three-point marksmen.

And he rightly received a standing ovation from the 19,000-crowd at the Kaseya Center, which Robinson lapped up. But once the ball was in the air, it was all business as he made a key three-pointer that started a 13-0 Detroit run to close the first quarter, breaking what was a 23-23 scoreline and giving the Pistons early momentum.

It was smooth sailing until the latter stages, but the Pistons survived.