October 22, 2026 at 5:53 AM UTC

Pregame Analysis

Pistons Bring Opening-Night Resilience to a Rebuilt Heat Team

By How we produce articles

Detroit's depth and fourth-quarter grit give it a slight edge over a retooled Miami.

Detroit arrives in Miami on Friday night, Oct. 23, with the freshest evidence of its character. In the season opener against Boston, the Pistons erased a 22-point deficit and closed the 121-113 win on a 23-0 run. That kind of finish says a lot about a team that ended last season atop the East. The Heat are an opponent worth that respect, since the two top teams in last year's East standings are meeting with retooled rosters.

Miami's reshaping is the biggest variable. The Heat sent Herro, Ware, Jaquez, Jakučionis and first-round picks to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. That gives them a star who can test Detroit's frontcourt every possession. It also means a new group still working out its roles, and Detroit has a head start on that front.

The Pistons' scoring was spread out in the opener. Jalen Duren had 22 points and nine rebounds, Cade Cunningham added 22 points and eight assists, and Duncan Robinson scored 21. The starting group included John Collins at power forward in place of Tobias Harris, with Ausar Thompson also in the lineup. Taurean Prince was the only Detroit absence. Duren's interior work and Cunningham's playmaking give Detroit several ways to answer Antetokounmpo's presence without relying on one scorer.

I expect a tight game in which Miami's star power keeps it close deep into the fourth quarter. Detroit's cohesion, its multiple scoring options and the late-game poise it showed against Boston should make the difference. Pistons 111, Heat 107.

All game reports