Miami Heat @ Detroit Pistons
Pistons win first NBA Cup game after Heat call phantom timeout in overtime
DETROIT -- — Malik Beasley made a tiebreaking free throw with 1.1 seconds left in overtime after Miami was given a technical foul for calling a timeout when it had none left, and the Detroit Pistons edged the Heat 123-121 in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.
Tyler Herro's jumper put Miami up 121-119 with 1.8 seconds left, but after a timeout, Cade Cunningham hit Jalen Duren with an alley-oop on the inbounds pass.
The Heat then called the illegal timeout. Beasley hit the foul shot to put Detroit up 122-121, then added another free throw with 0.1 seconds left.
Beasley and Cunningham each scored 21 for the Pistons, who went 0-4 in last year's NBA Cup. Herro had 40, including 20 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Heat: Nikola Jovic left the game in the first quarter after sustaining a reduced septum in a collision with Beasley. Beasley's jaw collided with Jovic's nose and mouth, leaving the Serbian bleeding.
Pistons: The game was delayed for several minutes in the third quarter when Tim Hardaway Jr. was injured after a collision with Herro and Duran. Hardaway was already on the floor when Duren landed on him, with Duren's knee hitting him in the head. A bloodied Hardaway stood up briefly after lengthy medical attention but was taken off the floor in a wheelchair.
The Pistons led 39-21 early in the second quarter and looked as if they would keep pulling away. Bam Adebayo, Herro and Duncan Robinson, though, scored all but two points in a 23-4 run that put the Heat ahead 44-43 with 4:14 left in the half.
Herro scored 18 points in the fourth quarter on 6-of-9 shooting, including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers.
The Pistons return to action on Wednesday in Milwaukee while the Heat are off until playing at Indiana on Friday and Sunday.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 1-1
Game Information
- Referees:
- Eric Dalen
- Tyler Ford
- Robert Hussey
2025-26 Southeast Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 3 | 2 | .600 | - | L1 |
| Atlanta | 3 | 3 | .500 | 0.5 | W2 |
| Orlando | 3 | 4 | .429 | 1 | W2 |
| Charlotte | 2 | 4 | .333 | 1.5 | L3 |
| Washington | 1 | 5 | .167 | 2.5 | L4 |

