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Pistons win first NBA Cup game after Heat call phantom timeout in overtime

Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) raises his arms after making freethrows to win the game against the Miami Heat during overtime of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DETROIT (AP) — Malik Beasley made a tiebreaking free throw with 1.1 seconds left in overtime after Miami was given a technical foul for calling a timeout when it had none left, and the Detroit Pistons edged the Heat 123-121 in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.

Tyler Herro’s jumper put Miami up 121-119 with 1.8 seconds left, but after a timeout, Cade Cunningham hit Jalen Duren with an alley-oop on the inbounds pass.

The Heat then called the illegal timeout. Beasley hit the foul shot to put Detroit up 122-121, then added another free throw with 0.1 seconds left.

Beasley and Cunningham each scored 21 for the Pistons, who went 0-4 in last year’s NBA Cup. Herro had 40, including 20 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Takeaways

Heat: Nikola Jovic left the game in the first quarter after sustaining a reduced septum in a collision with Beasley. Beasley’s jaw collided with Jovic’s nose and mouth, leaving the Serbian bleeding.

Pistons: The game was delayed for several minutes in the third quarter when Tim Hardaway Jr. was injured after a collision with Herro and Duran. Hardaway was already on the floor when Duren landed on him, with Duren’s knee hitting him in the head. A bloodied Hardaway stood up briefly after lengthy medical attention but was taken off the floor in a wheelchair.

Key moment

The Pistons led 39-21 early in the second quarter and looked as if they would keep pulling away. Bam Adebayo, Herro and Duncan Robinson, though, scored all but two points in a 23-4 run that put the Heat ahead 44-43 with 4:14 left in the half.

Key stat

Herro scored 18 points in the fourth quarter on 6-of-9 shooting, including 6-of-8 on 3-pointers.

Up next

The Pistons return to action on Wednesday in Milwaukee while the Heat are off until playing at Indiana on Friday and Sunday.

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