Pistons hit first road bump on four-game trip in loss to Heat

The Detroit Pistons fell to the Miami Heat, 137-117, on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Kaseya Center. The game also marked the Pistons' second road loss this season, bringing their record to 8-4 overall.

The Pistons have remained competitive without All-NBA center Jalen Duren, who suffered a hamstring strain on Oct. 23 against the Heat. Although he is making progress in his recovery, Duren is expected to miss at least two more weeks.

BOX SCORE: Heat 137, Pistons 117

After their 144-140 double-overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday, Nov. 12, the Pistons improved to 6-3 without Duren. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that they miss his skills. The game against the Heat highlighted the impact of Duren's absence and what the Pistons have been missing, as they took advantage of Detroit's lack of size more than Washington did.

Cade Cunningham followed up his historic 52-point, 11-assist performance against the Wizards with 33 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Kevin Huerter added 20 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Miami with 34 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Klay Thompson added 26 points with six made triples.

Observations and notes

▶ A rough night for Thompson: Cunningham performed well, continuing his strong play from two nights ago, but the same isn't true for Ausar Thompson. Foul trouble in the first half limited his time on the court and kept him from contributing effectively. He picked up a pair of fouls within the first two minutes of the first quarter. At the start of the second quarter, Thompson committed an offensive foul at the 11:08 mark.

▶ Robinson exits with thigh injury: Duncan Robinson's evening ended early due to left thigh soreness, which occurred midway through the second quarter. The injury was particularly unfortunate, as he had been one of the Pistons' most dependable offensive players at that point. Robinson finished with 10 points, including two made 3-pointers, in just 16 minutes.

coty.davis@detroitnews.com

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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons hit first road bump on four-game trip in loss to Heat