Detroit @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2019 ) Miami 93, Detroit 98

The Miami Heat have struggled mightily at home this season and have a big chance to change that trend with 10 of the next 12 at American Airlines Arena, starting with a visit from the surging Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. The Heat are an ugly 11-16 at home, including four consecutive losses, and have dropped out of playoff position after finishing a 2-4 road trip with a 106-102 setback at Philadelphia on Thursday.

“I think it’ll be good for our confidence to get a couple of wins under our belt at home, because we haven’t been great at home this year,” Miami leading scorer Josh Richardson told reporters. “So I think it’s a good time to turn it around.” The Heat will have to raise their level of play against the Pistons, who have a one-game lead on them for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference after rallying past Atlanta 125-122 on Friday for their fifth win in the last six contests. Detroit trailed by four with 1:25 to go before Andre Drummond made a basket, followed that up with two free throws and Thon Maker drained a 3-pointer to give the Pistons an important victory. “I thought we just did a good job of staying collected,” Pistons leading scorer Blake Griffin, who scored 15 before being ejected in the third quarter, told reporters. “Over the course of the season we’ve been in this position so many times and hopefully some of that experience is starting to pay off.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (27-30): Griffin averaged 26.5 points in the first six games of February before having his night cut short Friday, but guard Reggie Jackson stepped up to score a season-high 32 to go along with eight assists and zero turnovers. Drummond recorded his 10th consecutive double-double Friday, averaging 23.1 points along with 16.2 rebounds during that streak, and has been better at the free-throw line this month (64.2 percent) than overall this season (55.8). Rookie guard Bruce Brown scored 12 against Atlanta, his highest total since pouring in 15 points against Sacramento on Jan. 10.

ABOUT THE HEAT (26-31): Richardson (17.5 points) has cooled off a bit, scoring 13 per game the last three, and fellow guard Dion Waiters picked up the slack while averaging 18.3 over the past four with 14 makes from 3-point range. Veteran guard Goran Dragic (knee) is close to returning to the lineup after missing more than two months and forward Derrick Jones Jr. scored nine Thursday following a eight-game absence with a bruised knee. Center Hassan Whiteside has struggled the last three contests, averaging just 5.3 points and seven boards - well below his season averages of 12.6 and 12.2, respectively.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Miami veteran G Dwyane Wade scored 19 on Thursday against Philadelphia and is averaging 20.4 points in his career against the Pistons.

2. The teams have split a pair of games in Detroit this season as Griffin averaged 28 points and Richardson scored 27 in one of the games.

3. Maker scored nine points - his highest total in four games since arriving from Milwaukee in a trade - in 18 minutes Friday.

PREDICTION: Heat, 111, Pistons 102