(Miami, FL) — For the home team, it was a chance to come closer to clinching home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. For the visiting squad, a chance to prove it deserves just to make it there. Despite everything on the line, only one team came out swinging Tuesday night, as the Miami Heat crushed the Detroit Pistons, 107-89.
The Heat brought a well-balanced attack all game long. They were led by a scorching Josh Richardson in the first half. March’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month was 3-for-3 from beyond the arc at the break as the Heat held a 54-36 halftime lead.
After the game, Dwyane Wade spoke to TNT’s David Aldridge about Richardson’s value:
“We knew when we came in early (in the season) we were gonna need Justise (Winslow). Josh was a pleasant surprise. He’s playing exceptionally well and if we’re gonna do something in the playoffs, we need both those guys to keep playing this way.”
In the third quarter, Wade himself got hot, then in the fourth, it seemed like every other Heat player got hot. Miami saw six players score in double figures Tuesday night, led by Goran Dragic’s 22 points. In addition, Hassan Whiteside notched his 19th double-double since the All-Star break.
 “They just dominated us all night on both ends of the floor, from start to finish. Their effort, their energy, everything was better,” Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters after the game.
For Detroit, Reggie Jackson and Tobias Harris led the way with 21Â apiece, but the Pistons were never in this one.
Despite the outcome, playoff positioning currently remains the same for both teams. Miami remains locked into the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference while Detroit remains locked into the eight spot.
“We want to play at home in the playoffs and that is the most important thing right now,” Dragic said after game. “We still have five games left and everything counts.”
The way things are looking, the Heat will likely not know their playoff fate until that fifth and final game is played.
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