[Tommy]

By Michael Robinson.

In addition to Detroit playing Miami, New Jersey tries to extend their winning streak to 14 with a win over Charlotte. The Lakers also go to Denver with one game between them in the playoff standings.

Bet Now: Detroit (+1) at Miami

Miami is 29-7 at home this year, but just 15-20-1 against the spread (ATS) at home. Detroit is 26-11 on the road and 17-18-2 ATS.

Detroit is 60-14 on the year and needs just four wins to break their all-time franchise mark of 63 wins set in 1988-1989. Those were the days of the “Bad Boys” led by the backcourt of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Fortunately for Detroit, they ended up with a great General Manager in Dumars, as opposed to one of the worst in NBA history, like the Knicks’ Thomas.

This is a team that is clicking on all cylinders. They are on a five game winning streak, the sixth time this season that they have had a winning streak of five games or more. The Pistons have five great starters, a veteran bench, and they are a team on a mission that wants to prove to ex-coach Larry Brown that they can win a title without him.

Forward, Rasheed Wallace did not play in Detroit’s last game against New Orleans/ Oklahoma City due to a one game league suspension, but he will be back for this one.

Miami is 49-25 on the season, and they look like they have wrapped up second place in the East even though New Jersey and Cleveland are playing at a torrid place right behind them. If the season ended today, Miami would play Indiana in the first round of the playoffs.

The Heat will be playing without Alonzo Mourning in this game as he is out with a torn right calf. With Mourning out of the line-up, Michael Doleac has seen the bulk of the backup centers minutes. Doleac has suddenly become very important to this team as they really want to limit Shaquille O’Neal’s minutes to around 30 per game.

In other Miami injury news, starting point guard Jason Williams is out for the regular season and starting small forward James Posey is questionable for this game. That means more playing time for Gary Payton and Antoine Walker, two guys who can handle the increased minutes.

These teams have met three times this year with Detroit holding a 2-1 lead. Both of those games were at home for the Pistons, the last an 82-73 decision just a couple of weeks ago.

In that game, the Pistons held Dwyane Wade to a season low 13 points and Detroit rallied from a 12 point deficit in the second half. Wade will need to bounce back with a big game tonight if Miami hopes to win this game.

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