The Detroit Pistons faced the Miami Heat in their first game of 2026, suffering a 118-112 defeat at Little Caesars Arena. This matchup highlighted several strong individual performances, particularly from Cade Cunningham and Marcus Sasser.
Pistons’ Performance Overview
Cade Cunningham was instrumental for the Pistons, scoring 31 points. His remarkable free throw shooting saw him make 17 out of 18 attempts. In addition to his scoring, he contributed 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Bench Strength
- Marcus Sasser added 18 points, shooting 60% from the field with 6-of-10 accuracy.
- Sasser significantly impacted the game with four successful 3-pointers out of the team’s eight overall.
Miami Heat’s Key Players
The Miami Heat’s offense was led by Norman Powell, who scored a game-high 36 points. Notably, 15 of those points were registered during a powerful third quarter. Bam Adebayo also played a crucial role, achieving a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Injury Update
Detroit’s Jalen Duren was a promising player early in the game, gathering 12 points and five rebounds. However, he suffered an ankle injury late in the second quarter. Although he attempted to return in the third quarter, he exited shortly afterward and was ruled out for the remainder of the match.
Game Summary
This loss marks a challenging start to the year for the Pistons. The team will look to improve in their upcoming games as they analyze their performance against the Heat.
