Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat Box Score on Mar 03, 2018

Heat center Hassan Whiteside added eight points and 19 rebounds.

The Heat are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, which represents the final playoff position in the East. The Pistons are in ninth place, four games behind Miami.

Detroit forward Blake Griffin scored a game-high 31 points and added a team-best six assists, but it wasn't enough as the Pistons lost their eighth consecutive road game. The Pistons are 2-8 in their past 10 games overall.

Pistons center Andre Drummond, who leads the NBA in rebounds, scored 22 points and grabbed 18 boards.

The Heat played their second straight game without starting shooting guard Tyler Johnson and his primary backup, Wayne Ellington -- both of them out with leg injuries.

In addition, Heat backup center Bam Adebayo missed the game due to unspecified personal reasons.

Forward Luke Babbitt, who had nine points, made his first start since the Heat reacquired him from the Atlanta Hawks just before the trading deadline. He earned the start when the Heat decided to bring Justise Winslow (13 points) in off the bench.

The Pistons played without starting point guard Reggie Jackson, who is out due to a sprained right ankle.

Detroit made six of its first seven shots, taking a 14-5 lead. Whiteside, trying to get Drummond off the boards, picked up two fouls in three minutes and sat out the rest of the first quarter. Still, Miami battled back and trailed 28-27 after the first.

The Heat had a strong second quarter, taking a 59-46 lead into halftime. The Pistons dominated inside with a 22-14 edge in the paint and a 10-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. But the Heat shot 52.4 percent from the floor compared to 39.6 percent for Detroit.

Using a 9-0 run, Detroit cut its third-quarter deficit to 74-70. Both teams were shooting below 45 percent through three quarters, although the Heat had converted 10 3-pointers to just six for Detroit.

Miami controlled the fourth quarter and finished the game shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. Detroit shot 41.6 percent and lost despite a 42-30 advantage in paint points.

--Field Level Media