Game Recap: Pistons Playoff Hopes Stifled by Miami Heat

The Miami Heat defeated the Detroit Pistons 105-96 last night, effectively ending the competitive portion of Detroit's season, now four games out of a playoff spot.

The Pistons started out hot after the mess of a first quarter the team had against Orlando on Friday, but that was the only fire the team had until a late third quarter push made the game competitive for a few minutes. Blake Griffin had his best game as a Piston with 31 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Andre Drummond was the only other positive contributor on the team, with 22 points and 18 rebounds.

Miami had a balanced offense attack, with six of their 10 rotation players finishing in double digits - Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson, Kelly Olynyk, Dwyane Wade, James Johnson and Justise Winslow all crossed that threshold. In the end, Miami played like a team fighting for their playoff lives, while the Pistons did not. It is looking like the eight teams making the playoffs in the East are locked in in early March.

The Pistons play Cleveland on Monday night, while the Miami Heat take on the Phoenix Suns on the same day.

Featured Image - The Associated Press