Pistons at Heat
With the Miami Heat desperately trying to secure a postseason berth, now is not the time for star guard Dwyane Wade's knee to be acting up - again. Wade and the Heat return from a 1-3 road trip Sunday to host the Detroit Pistons. Wade was limited to just 13 points in 21 minutes in a 99-86 loss to Atlanta on Friday after missing the previous game with a swollen left knee, and he's expected to get the knee drained prior to the game with the Pistons.
"(The knee) was OK," Wade told reporters after the game. "It wasn't great but I just wanted to get out there and try to give my teammates something. Hopefully, I'll be better Sunday." Miami currently holds the seventh spot in the East, one game ahead of Boston and 1 1/2 games up on Brooklyn with Indiana two back. The streaking Pistons have won four straight and recently-acquired point guard Reggie Jackson has been outstanding during the stretch.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, Sun Sports (Miami)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (28-44): Jackson had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Pistons' 111-97 win over Orlando on Friday. He recorded his second triple-double since joining the team and was fabulous in the third quarter with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. "That was a fabulous third quarter," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. "Reggie sort of had a tough start, but he started to attack and that really gets him going." The former Thunder reserve is averaging 23.3 points on 50 percent shooting, 10.3 assists and seven rebounds during the winning streak.
ABOUT THE HEAT (33-39): Luol Deng had 17 points and 10 rebounds against the Hawks, but Miami played without Hassan Whiteside (hand) and Chris Andersen (calf). Henry Walker has been providing Miami an outside threat of late, connecting on 11-of-23 shots from beyond the arc in the past three games, but has only taken one two-point shot over that span. Miami's next two games are against San Antonio and Cleveland, and the Heat play Chicago and Toronto consecutively in the last week of the season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Miami has won four straight home games.
2. The last Pistons guard to record a triple-double was Isiah Thomas in 1986-87.
3. The Heat are 6.1 points per 100 possessions better on offense with Wade on the floor but 3.1 points worse defensively.