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Heat-Pistons Preview
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons
- Miami has won seven straight, and 12 of their last 13, games against the Pistons.
- The Heat have won their last six games, scoring at least 100 points in all six contests. The last time the Heat had a winning streak of 6+ games and scored 100+ points in at least six straight during that streak was February 12-March 8, 2006, when they had 100+ points in the first seven contests of a 10-game win streak (the seven games being February 12-March 1).
- Detroit trailed by 19 points entering the fourth quarter of Wednesday's double overtime loss to Atlanta. Will Bynum had 31 points off the bench for the Pistons, 26 of which came in the fourth quarter (15) or in the overtimes (11). Those 26 points are the most by any player in the fourth quarter onward of any game this season.
- Mario Chalmers has 37 points (20 and 17, respectively) in his last two games, after having a total of 38 points in his previous five contests. The Heat guard has never had three straight games with 15+ points.
- LeBron James has made at least seven field goals in a franchise-record 43 straight regular-season games, dating back to last March 25.
- Greg Monroe is one of five players in the league with 450+ points, 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists this season.
By JORDAN GARRETSON
(AP) -- Despite winning his third MVP last season, LeBron James may be even better this year.
With fellow superstar Dwyane Wade sidelined by a suspension, the Miami Heat will again look to James as they seek a seventh straight victory Friday night against a Detroit Pistons team they've dominated recently.
Wade was suspended by the NBA for one game on Thursday without pay - the first suspension of his career - for flailing his leg and making contact with Ramon Sessions' groin in the Heat's 105-92 win at Charlotte on Wednesday, the opener of a four-game road trip. Sessions, who believed the kick was intentional, was actually whistled for a foul on the play.
Wade's 20.2 scoring average is his lowest since his rookie season, but Wednesday was one of his better games as he scored 29 on 10-of-19 shooting with nine rebounds and five assists. James tallied 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as the duo helped Miami improve to 20-6, its best 26-game record in franchise history.
James' 25.8 points per game during the Heat's winning streak doesn't deviate much from his 25.6 season average, but his rebound and assist averages are up to 10.8 and 9.0, respectively, from 8.7 and 6.9. He may need to shoulder an even larger scoring burden without Wade and possibly Ray Allen, who remains questionable with a shoulder injury. Allen sat out Wednesday with a sore right shoulder, which he injured in a win against Oklahoma City on Christmas.
Allen is averaging 11.7 ppg, and his absence would leave the Heat without two of their top four scorers as they try for a season-high third straight road win. Miami is 14-2 at home but just 6-4 away from AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Heat were also significantly better at home last season (28-5) compared to on the road (18-15) in the regular season before winning the NBA Finals.
"We want to have a bunker mentality and a road warrior mentality when we hit the road," James said. "We understand to this point we haven't played great basketball on the road."
Miami almost always plays great basketball against the Pistons, winning seven straight and 12 of the last 13 meetings. The Heat also have won seven in row in Detroit since a 93-90 loss on Feb. 4, 2009.
Despite owning one of the league's worst records, the Pistons (9-22) are only being outscored by 2.2 points per game.
They took a now 17-9 Atlanta squad to double overtime on Wednesday as Will Bynum scored 31 - one shy of his career high - as Detroit failed to win a season-best third in a row.
"You have to take the positives out of that," Bynum told the team's official website. "If not, there's nothing to go forward on. We've got to take the positives from last night and keep trying to build off of them."
Forward Tayshaun Prince's status was uncertain for Wednesday because of a sprained right ankle but he finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Updated December 27, 2012
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