Report: Detroit Pistons dealing with COVID-19 outbreak ahead of matchup with Miami Heat

peter2dewey@yahoo.com'
2 Min Read

The Detroit Pistons reportedly are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Miami Heat.

The Pistons will be without multiple key rotation players on Thursday due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart are two big losses for the Pistons, as both players were first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Stewart, one of the team’s starting big men, is averaging 7.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game this season.

Hayes has started all 24 games that he has appeared in for Detroit this season and is playing 25.9 minutes per game. The second-year guard is averaging 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 34.0 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Pistons aren’t the only team that will be down players in this matchup, as the Heat will be without Bam Adebayo (thumb), Jimmy Butler (tailbone), Markieff Morris (whiplash), P.J. Tucker (leg) and Caleb Martin (health and safety protocols).

While Detroit is dealing with this COVID-19 outbreak, it does appear that the team will have the necessary eight players to face Miami on Thursday night.

It is also worth noting that Detroit is without its leading scorer from the 2020-21 season, Jerami Grant, in this matchup. Grant injured his thumb and is expected to miss some time for Detroit.

The Heat and the Pistons are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST from FTX Arena. Miami is looking to improve upon its 19-13 record so far this season.

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Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.