Not pretty, but Heat push past Pistons 106-98 for first home victory

MIAMI — Winning with style points will have to wait for the Miami Heat.

Monday was another example, with a 106-98 grind-it-out victory at Kaseya Center over a Detroit Pistons team that fell to 0-4.

Just as the Heat had to go to the wire in Saturday’s road victory over the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets, it took the final minutes to create ample distance to move to 2-1 and gain the first home victory of the season, after last week’s blowout loss to the visiting Orlando Magic.

“In this league we’ll take a win no matter who it’s against,” guard Tyler Herro said.

With Jimmy Butler stepping up with his attack game and Herro and Terry Rozier doing enough damage from distance, the Heat were able to do enough to offset the play of emerging Cade Cunningham and longtime Heat nemesis Tim Hardaway Jr.

Uneven.

But also enough.

“I’m thinking that was a game of beauty going down the stretch,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I’ll sleep well tonight. Those guys will probably think about missed shots, but I’ll sleep well.”

Butler closed with 23 points, supported by 20 from Rozier and 19 from Herro. The Heat also got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.

Cunningham led the Pistons with 24 points, contained mostly by his foul trouble, with Hardaway, son of the iconic Heat guard adding 20.

Next up for the Heat is a Wednesday night game against the visiting New York Knicks.

“I think the most important thing is trying to find an identity,” Herro said of the Heat’s ongoing search for a true stride.

Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game against the Pistons:

1. Closing time: The Pistons led 30-28 at the end of the opening period, with the Heat up 64-53 at halftime and then Detroit taking a 79-78 lead into the fourth.

That is when Butler and Haywood Highsmith energized the Heat, combining for eight of the Heat’s first nine points of the final period to open an 87-79 lead.

Detroit then stormed back within 90-87, before 3-pointers by Herro and Rozier helped settle matters.

Butler said conditioning might have been the difference.

“I just think we’re in better shape,” he said.

Cunningham said he felt the Pistons gave it away.

“It was more us than anything — just not being strong with the ball, not holding guys off, making sure we get passes and outlets and stuff,” he said. “We were loose with the ball and had too many turnovers.”

2. Butler bully ball: Just as he did in Saturday’s victory over the Hornets, Butler bullied his way to the line as a means of keeping the Heat offense afloat.

While he did not match his 17 free throws in Charlotte, there were nine before Butler took his rest early in the fourth quarter, closing 9 of 11 from the line.

“I’m not going to get away from my game,” Butler said. “I’ve got to be on the attack.”

For a team that has spoken so often of wanting to run, Butler’s tempo continues as the most profitable pace.

“I can play any style of basketball,” he said.

Butler added seven assists, four rebounds and four steals.

3. 10 deep: After going nine deep in his primary rotation the first two games, Spoelstra this time was 10 deep by the midpoint of the second period.

After opening with Adebayo, Butler, Herro, Rozier and Nikola Jovic for the third time in as many games, Spoelstra subbed in, in order, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson, Thomas Bryant, Alec Burks and Highsmith.

Bryant continued to play as the backup center, with Kevin Love away from the team since the start of the season due to an undisclosed personal reason.

Burks had been held out of last week’s opener against the Orlando Magic, with Highsmith held out of Saturday night’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Although cleared to play for the first time this season from a heel issue, Josh Richardson remained out of the Heat mix.

4. Early search: After scoring 21 total points in the first two games, Adebayo struggled early for his place in the Heat’s next pace/space offense, this time not taking his first shot until 7:40 remained in the second period.

To their credit, the Heat then got Adebayo going with a series of alley-oop feeds.

To his credit, Adebayo’s energy remained unrelenting on the defensive end, closing with three steals and three blocks.

“I thought Bam throughout the game was so physical on the glass,” Spoelstra said.

5. Steal or bust: The Heat’s best offensive burst came in the second period, when they turned six Pistons turnovers into 12 points in outscoring Detroit 36-23 in the period.

The problem for the Heat was without the defense initiating the offense, points remained at an ongoing premium.

That proved to be the case in the third period, when the Heat scored only 14 points.

When it comes to the Heat offense, it largely remains famine in the halfcourt, still required to be bailed out by Butler free throws.

The Heat closed with 21 points of 17 Pistons turnovers.

“There’s a certain activity level. There’s a certain awareness of being ahead of the play,” Spoelstra said after the Heat closed with 15 steals. “We have speed, quickness, guys that can make plays defensively. But you have to activate it.”