Hardaway, Miami Break Pistons
MIA: Alonzo Mourning 12 Points, 12 Rebounds
The Miami Heat didn't forget what happened on opening night.
Thirteen days after losing the season-opener to Detroit, the Heat got revenge Wednesday night by beating the slumping Pistons 91-80.
"They kicked our butts down there, and we remembered that," said Tim Hardaway, who led Miami with 29 points and nine assists. "We wanted to show them that we are a better team."
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Both teams were playing their third game in as many days.
Detroit lost all three, extending its losing skid to five games, while the Heat became the first NBA team in 14 years to win three games in three nights.
Miami, which won its fourth in a row, held the Pistons without a field goal for more than 11 minutes of the second half and kept the Pistons to 32 percent shooting.
"Our defense was fine tonight, but our offense stunk," said Pistons coach Alvin Gentry. "We can't even blame the three games in a row, because they were doing the same thing. We played hard, and we rebounded with them, but 32 percent isn't going to beat too many teams in this league."
Grant Hill led Detroit with 22, while Jerry Stackhouse scored 21.
Stackhouse said he fears the losing streak is starting to feed on itself.
"When you are losing like this, you start putting more and more pressure on every shot," he said. "We've got to start running more -- and I don't understand why we have to force ourselves to do that. With the athletes we have, we should be wanting to run all night."
Alonzo Mourning had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat.
"This was redemption," Mourning said. "We watched that first game on tape tonight, and we just didn't match their effort that night. We know we are a better team than they are - they've got talent, but when we are on our game, we are a team to be reckoned with."
Miami led 46-39 at the half, thanks to 14 points from Hardaway, but Detroit used an early surge to pull within a point.
Hardaway and Dan Majerle hit 3-pointers on the next two Miami possessions, and Hardaway finished with 13 points in the quarter -- including two free throws after technical fouls on Lindsey Hunter and Hill. Hunter's technical was the first of his career.
Miami took a 70-58 lead into the fourth quarter after Detroit managed just three points, all on free throws, in the final 6:29 of the third.
Things didn't get any better after the break, as Miami put the game away with a 6-2 run that made it 76-60 with 9:30 left.
Notes
- As part of their season-long tribute to the 1989 NBA-championship team, the Pistons honored John Salley at halftime.
- Joe Dumars (hamstring) missed his second game in a row, but Hunter returned after sitting out Tuesday's game with the flu. Hunter, though, only scored two points on 1-of-8 shooting.
- Miami held the Pistons to 29 percent shooting in the first half and forced nine turnovers.
- Detroit's Jerome Williams tied a career high with 14 rebounds.
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
