Whiteside's buzzer-beater tip lifts Heat over Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Hassan Whiteside scored on a tip-in just before the buzzer, giving the Miami Heat a 97-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night at The Palace.
Whiteside scored after a wild scramble during which the Heat missed two attempts on their final possession. He finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Goran Dragic scored a game-high 28 points, James Johnson had 16 points and six rebounds, and Rodney McGruder added 12 points for the Heat (36-38).
Miami scored the final five points after giving away a nine-point lead during the quarter.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 25 points led the Pistons (34-41), who have lost eight of their last nine. Ish Smith and Tobias Harris scored 19 points apiece, and Andre Drummond chipped in nine points and 13 rebounds.
Miami played without shooting guard Dion Waiters for the fifth consecutive game. Waiters is nursing a sprained left ankle.
Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson sat out for the second consecutive night for rest. Jackson missed the first 21 games because of a knee injury and hasn't fully regained his explosiveness.
Miami led 55-50 at halftime behind Dragic's 16 points. He delivered their first double-digit advantage of the game early in the third with a three-point play.
Dragic's fast-break layup after a Smith turnover made it 72-60 midway through the quarter. The Heat's offense struggled the rest of the quarter, but the Pistons could only cut their deficit to nine entering the fourth at 78-69.
Detroit opened the fourth with a 10-2 run, capped by an Aron Baynes layup and dunk to pull within one. James Johnson answered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Johnson's dunk with 5:40 remaining made it 87-82, but Detroit forged ahead just over a minute later. Caldwell-Pope made a corner 3-pointer and Drummond converted a three-point play after an offensive rebound.
Whiteside made one of two free throws with 1:56 left to put Miami on top at 92-91. After a couple of empty possession, the Pistons regained the lead on Caldwell-Pope's 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining.
After a McGruder turnover, Smith drained a jumper for a 96-92 Detroit advantage.
The Pistons' Stanley Johnson was called for a technical for guarding too closely during the ensuing inbounds play. Dragic made the free throw, then scored in the lane.
James Johnson then forced a jump ball against Stanley Johnson and won the tap, setting up Miami's winning possession.
NOTES: Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said he will decide if or when PG Reggie Jackson will play again this season. Jackson sat out his second straight game because of fatigue. "It's strictly been my call all the way," Van Gundy said. "Reggie wants to be out there." ... The season series ended 2-2. ... Miami is 28-3 when leading after three quarters. ... Heat players have missed 295 games due to injury or illness this season, most in the NBA. ... Miami coach Erik Spoelstra views his top reserves, G Tyler Johnson and F James Johnson, as starters. "They make a lot of plays for us and they're unconventional, really intuitive plays," he said. "They're really our six and seven starters."