MIANI Heat leaned on a big night from Norman Powell to fend off a late rally by the Detroit Pistons, 118-112, in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on Thursday night (Friday in the Philippines) at Detroit, Michigan.
Powell delivered a game-high 36 points to lead Miami, providing the scoring punch that helped the Heat build and protect a sizable cushion en route to their fourth straight win.
Bam Adebayo anchored the interior with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins chipped in 19 and 17 points, respectively.
Miami took control midway through the game, opening the second half with a decisive 15-2 surge that pushed the lead to 22 points. The Pistons mounted a late comeback, cutting the gap to two points in the final minute after a three-pointer by Javonte Green.
However, Jaquez answered with a timely basket, and Miami closed the game at the free-throw line after forcing a turnover, preventing Detroit from completing the rally.
Detroit was paced by Cade Cunningham, who nearly posted a triple-double with 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, while Marcus Sasser added 18 points in the defeat.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey had a near triple-double performance to lead Philadelphia 76ers to a dominant 123-108 victory over shorthanded Dallas Mavericks on the road.
Maxey finished the match with 34 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, rookie VJ Edgecombe added 23 markers, while Joel Embiid, Quentin Grimes, and Paul George had 22, 19, and 14, respectively.
Max Christie paced the Mavericks with 18 points, Brandon Williams added 14 markers, while Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and PJ Washington ended with 13, 12, and 11, respectively.
Houston Rockets, on the other hand, cruised to a 120-96 rout over Brooklyn Nets. Amen Thompson top-scored for the Rockets with 23 points, while Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun added 22 and 20, respectively./PN
