'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On the final day of their 2020-21 NBA regular-season campaign, the Miami Heat will take on the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.
The Heat, who are sixth in the East after their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, need to beat the Pistons and hope the New York Knicks lose their final game to finish fifth.
Meanwhile, for the Detroit Pistons, their season ended a long time ago, and they are currently in the midst of a full-scale rebuild.
Match Details
Fixture: Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Sunday, May 16th, 2021; 8:00 PM ET (Monday, May 17th; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI.
Miami Heat Preview
Two victories over the Boston Celtics and one against the Philadelphia 76ers this week have helped the Miami Heat secure their place in the playoffs. Barring last-minute seeding changes, the Heat are likely to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs; the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 in last year's semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler missed the Saturday game against the Bucks due to lower-back stiffness and is unlikely to feature against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Nevertheless, the Heat will go into this game as the favorites, even without Buttler, and they would rather have their talisman fit for the postseason.
Kendrick Nunn stepped up with 31 points against the Bucks. But the Miami Heat will be looking for more from Bam Adebayo, who only managed five points and eight rebounds.
Key Player - Bam Adebayo
An off night on Saturday meant Bam Adebayo's impressive 56-game streak of scoring double-digit points came to an end. He has been crucial to the Miami Heat's recent success at both ends of the floor, as he is averaging 17.7 points and 1.9 steals in his last 14 games. No other center in the league has grabbed more steals during this period.
Adebayo's defensive prowess will be key for the Miami Heat in the playoffs. He is one of only three big men in the league to average at least one steal and one block per game this season and ranks fourth for defensive win share (0.108).
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Kendrick Nunn | Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson | Small Forward - Trevor Ariza | Power Forward - Nemanja Bjelica | Center - Bam Adebayo.
Detroit Pistons Preview
With the Detroit Pistons' season over already, this game should feature more young players in their roster. Two of these players, rookies Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes, have started the last three games. They are expected to do so again, as the Pistons are struggling with a mounting injury list.
By the final whistle on Friday, the massively shorthanded Detroit Pistons only had seven available players and were comfortably beaten by the Denver Nuggets. For this game, leader Jermai Grant is sidelined, while rookie center Isaiah Stewart is likely to miss a second straight game.
Key Player - Saddiq Bey
Saddiq Bey has been the Detroit Pistons' standout player recently and is currently one of the top five contenders for the rookie of the season. In his last ten games, Bey has averaged 16.6 points and has shot at over 40% from the field and from downtown.
During this period, he has also averaged the most minutes of any Detroit Pistons player. He has broken the team's record for most three-pointers made by any rookie in a season.
Furthermore, his tally of 13 games with five or more made threes helped him break the previous record set by Stephen Curry and Allen Iverson of ten in their respective rookie campaigns.
Detroit Pistons Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Killian Hayes | Shooting Guard - Hamidou Diallo | Small Forward - Saddiq Bey | Power Forward - Josh Jackson | Center - Jahlil Okafor.
Heat vs Pistons Match Prediction
The Miami Heat are the overwhelming favorites in this game. Although they traded wins with the Detroit Pistons in January, a lot has happened since then, as the Heat have won 11 of their next 15 outings.
Considering the Pistons' injury-riddled roster and the Miami Heat's stiff defense, this should be a routine road victory for the Heat.
Where to watch the Heat vs Pistons matchup?
Bally Sports Sun and Bally Sports Detroit will provide live telecast of this game. This match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
Guess the Lakers players!
