Detroit, Mich– Malik Beasley sealed the game with a tiebreaking free throw just 1.1 seconds before the final buzzer, lifting the Detroit Pistons to a 123-121 overtime victory over the Miami Heat in an NBA Cup matchup on Tuesday night. The decisive moment came after the Heat were assessed a technical foul for calling a timeout they did not have remaining.
With only 1.8 seconds left, Tyler Herro’s jumper had given Miami a 121-119 lead. However, following a timeout, Cade Cunningham connected with Jalen Duren for an alley-oop on the inbounds pass. Afterward, Miami called the illegal timeout, allowing Beasley to convert the foul shot, putting the Pistons ahead 122-121. He then added another free throw with just 0.1 seconds on the clock.
Both Beasley and Cunningham scored 21 points for the Pistons, who were looking to bounce back after going winless in last year’s NBA Cup. Herro was the standout for Miami, scoring 40 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Pistons: The game experienced a delay in the third quarter when Tim Hardaway Jr. was injured following a collision with Herro and Duren. Hardaway was already on the ground when Duren landed on him, causing Duren’s knee to strike Hardaway in the head. After receiving extensive medical attention, a bloodied Hardaway was briefly able to stand but was ultimately taken off the court in a wheelchair.
Key Moment In The Game:
The Pistons jumped out to a commanding 39-21 lead early in the second quarter, looking poised to extend their advantage. However, Bam Adebayo, Herro, and Duncan Robinson combined to score all but two points during a 23-4 run that shifted the momentum and put the Heat ahead 44-43 with 4:14 remaining in the half.
Key Stat:
Herro was particularly explosive in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including an impressive 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Up Next:
The Pistons will return to action on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Heat will have a break before their games at Indiana on Friday and Sunday.
