Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat injury report, lineups: Will Cade Cunningham play today?
The Detroit Pistons have won back-to-back basketball games. I repeat – the Pistons have won back-to-back basketball games.
This is now the third time this year the Pistons have won two straight games. The first time they did it was way back on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28. Then, they didn't win a single basketball game again until Jan. 15 when they beat the Washington Wizards.
The second time they won back-to-back games came about a month after they broke the legendary losing streak when they unexpectedly beat the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trailblazers with practically half of their squad either injured or in transit because of the trade deadline.
The first two times could be chalked up to flukes. One of the "streaks" was so early in the year that everyone was still getting their feet wet and the other was amidst the trade deadline and frankly, it was just a weird stretch.
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But this last streak, albeit against one of the NBA's worst teams in the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors, who were playing with half their squad injured, felt much more real, in part because the team had just beaten the Brooklyn Nets a few nights before. So yes, if you're counting at home, that's three wins in four games.
In order to stretch that streak out to either three or four games, they'll have to beat last year's Eastern Conference representatives in the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat, currently eighth in the playoff race.
The Heat will be limping into Detroit for their extended stay (they play the Pistons again here Sunday), having lost their past four games, including a home loss to the NBA-worst Wizards.
With the Pistons playing some much better basketball of late, the Heat won't be able to take them lightly if they want to get out of Motown unscathed.
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TUNE IN: Watch Pistons-Heat on Fubo (free trial)
Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat start time today
Matchup: Pistons (12-53) vs. Heat (35-30).
Date: Friday, March 15.
Time: 7 p.m. ET.
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Betting line: Heat by 7½ (how to bet and get sign up bonuses).
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Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat TV channel today
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM 97.1 (Pistons radio affiliates).
Streaming: Fubo (free trial).
If you do not have Bally Sports Detroit, you can sign up for Fubo with a free trial to watch the Pistons all season.
Detroit Pistons injury report vs. Miami Heat
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (illness) has not played the past two games and is ruled out again. Cade Cunningham is questionable with left knee management; the struggling Quentin Grimes (0-for-17 on 3s past four games) is out Friday because of right knee soreness. He missed four games last week with the same issue.
The Heat will also be playing shorthanded. Kevin Love (heel), Tyler Herro (right foot tendinitis) and Josh Richardson (shoulder surgery) are out. Bam Adebayo has a lower-back contusion but is probable to play.
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Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat projected starting lineups
Pistons: PG Cade Cunningham, G Jaden Ivey, F Simone Fontecchio, PF Isaiah Stewart, C Jalen Duren.
Heat: PG Terry Rozier, G Duncan Robinson, F Jimmy Butler, F Nikola Jovic, C Bam Adebayo.
*Lineups subject to change.
Detroit Pistons uniform, jersey vs. Miami Heat
The Pistons will wear their black "Statement Edition" jerseys with "DET" written across the chest with blue and red stripes below.
The Heat will wear their classic white "Association Edition" jerseys, which has "Heat" written across the chest in red.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons game vs. Miami Heat: Time, TV channel, injury report
