Cade Cunningham mistake allows Heat's Bam Adebayo to sink buzzer-beater and stun Pistons

The Detroit Pistons had a chance to win Sunday afternoon, after trailing the Miami Heat by 17 points in the third quarter.

Cade Cunningham tied the game at 101 with 42 seconds remaining, and a Heat turnover on the other end gave the Pistons an opportunity to end the game with the final possession.

Instead, Cunningham launched a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left on the clock. It missed and Miami's Terry Rozier rebounded with 7 seconds.

The Heat didn’t. Bam Adebayo splashed a deep 3-pointer, his fourth make of the season, at the buzzer, and Miami escaped Little Caesars Arena with a 104-101 victory, despite missing Jimmy Butler (foot contusion). The Heat swept the season series against the Pistons, with three of the wins taking place in the past two weeks.

Michigan alumnus Duncan Robinson stepped up for Miami, who was without Jimmy Butler. Robinson scored 30 points and knocked down seven 3-pointers, with the final one being a four-point play with two minutes left that extended the Heat’s lead to five and proved to be a dagger. Adebayo added 20 points and 17 rebounds.

Evan Fournier scored 18 points off of the bench for Detroit, and Cunningham added 17 points and nine assists. Simone Fontecchio (13 points, eight rebounds), Isaiah Stewart (12 points, six rebounds), Jalen Duren (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Jaden Ivey (10 points) also reached double-figures.

Miami led the Pistons 73-56 with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter. The Pistons erased the deficit with a strong showing from the bench, along with tightened defense. The Heat shot just 38.1% in the second half.

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Second unit leads comeback

Detroit had its biggest deficit of the game midway through the third quarter when Monty Williams made his first substitution — Fournier for Ivey. The veteran wing was a spark, scoring 11 of his xx points in the second half as the Pistons closed the third with a 20-6 run that brought them within six points, 79-73.

Stanley Umude (nine points, 3-for-5 from 3), James Wiseman and Marcus Sasser joined Fournier and Fontecchio by the end of the quarter and sustained Detroit’s momentum, helping the Pistons win the period by seven points. Umude hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter and the unit also held its own defensively, as Miami shot 7-for-18 in the quarter.

Fournier’s fourth 3-pointer brought the Pistons within two, 90-88, midway through the fourth. Cunningham checked in shortly after, setting up the thrilling finish.

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Michigan's Duncan Robinson steps up for shorthanded Heat

Robinson has been one of the Heat’s biggest developmental success stories. And the Michigan alumnus showcased every ounce of that development against the Pistons this past weekend.

After scoring 16 points and dishing five assists against the Pistons on Friday, he stepped up with a game-high 30 points Sunday, including the dagger 4-point play with two minutes remaining. His points and seven-made 3-pointers were both season-highs.

It’s been a bounce-back season for Robinson, who has started 29 games and is averaging nearly 29 minutes after falling out of the rotation last year.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons' Cade Cunningham mistake allows Bam Adebayo to make 3 at buzzer