Reigning MVP Lebron James must have a quick recovery after he suffered a shoulder injury in a 106-91 win over the Knicks on Saturday, as he is facing a red-hot Detroit Piston squad. The Pistons are coming off two dominating victories over the Magic and the 76ers. In those two match-ups, the team in the Motor City out-rebounded their opponents 58-44 and 56-40.
The last time the Pistons played the Heat, Detroit got the best of the former champions and defeated them 107-97. In that game, the Pistons out-rebounded the Heat 46-34. It’s pretty simple for the Pistons, when they out-rebound their opponents, they win. The biggest thing stopping Detroit from another win over the defending champions, is their lack of efficiency from the free-throw line (oh yeah, and how clutch MVP Lebron James is). Unfortunately, Detroit loses games at the free throw line. The Pistons still remain at last place in free-throw percentage with an atrocious average of 66%. The Pistons will be counting on Josh Smith to guard the “king” tonight, and that is most likely not to their advantage. Smith lacks hustle and desire to win. He is the same height as Lebron and just as strong, but he doesn’t have the mentality to win that James endures. Who knows, maybe J-smooth will actually want to win tonight, and step-up on the defensive end. If the Pistons can out-rebound Miami, and play solid defense tonight, they may find themselves with their 20th win of the season.
The Miami Heat have won four of their last five, and remain one of the “top dogs” in the east. In their last two games, Lebron James has scored at least 30 points and has upped his season average to 26.3 points per game. The King isn’t the only reason for the Heat’s success, nor is it just the “big three”. One of the main reasons for Miami’s recent success is their depth. Miami has a mixture of youth, energy, and experience. This is a bench that no other team has. There comes a time in every game where a team puts their reserves in (usually beginning of second quarter). When that time comes in this game, there is no doubt Miami will beat the Pistons with their depth. If the defending champs can take advantage of the Piston’s weak bench, and play close on the glass, the Heat may be looking at their 34th win tonight.
Be sure to tune into Fox Sports Detroit or SUN Sports Miami at 7:30pm eastern time, as this season series is currently tied at 1-1, and this tie-breaker will definitely be an exhilarating one.
Detroit Pistons Nation 