Pistons Beat Heat 128-111 to Reach 2-0, but Lose Duren and Thompson to Injury

The Detroit Pistons beat the Miami Heat 128 to 111 on Friday, October 23, 2026, at Kaseya Center in Miami. Detroit led from start to finish and improved to 2 and 0. Miami fell to 0 and 2 in its second game with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The win opened a three game road trip for Detroit, and it came at a price. The Pistons lost center Jalen Duren in the second quarter and forward Ausar Thompson in the third quarter, both to injury.

Detroit scored the first 11 points in the opening two minutes and ten seconds. The Pistons led 22 to 5 with 7:33 left in the first quarter after making eight of their first nine shots. John Collins scored 11 points in the quarter, and Detroit led 41 to 26 after one. The Pistons led 65 to 53 at halftime and stayed ahead by double digits for the entire second half.

Two starters leave hurt

Duren left with 6:45 left in the second quarter. He drove against Antetokounmpo, grabbed at the area behind his right knee, and walked to the locker room. The Pistons called it a right thigh injury. Duren had four points, six rebounds and three assists in ten minutes, and he had blocked a shot by Antetokounmpo shortly before he left. Thompson left in the third quarter. He stepped on the heel of Andrew Wiggins, rolled his right ankle and limped to the locker room. Thompson had four points, three rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes. Neither player returned to the game.

Reed steps in and Detroit pulls away

Paul Reed replaced Duren and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He made eight of his eleven shots, including both of his three point attempts. Detroit opened the third quarter with a 13 to 4 run, and a three pointer by Duncan Robinson made the score 78 to 57. The Pistons led 103 to 80 after three quarters, and the lead reached 23 points in the second half. Collins led Detroit with 23 points on nine of fifteen shooting. He made five of his six three point attempts and grabbed seven rebounds. Robinson scored 17 points. Cade Cunningham had 16 points, eight assists and three blocked shots. Daniss Jenkins scored 15 points and Isaiah Joe scored 12 off the bench. Detroit shot 53 percent from the field and made 18 of its 38 three point attempts.

Antetokounmpo carries Miami alone

Antetokounmpo scored 36 points on 15 of 26 shooting for Miami. He added 12 rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes. Davion Mitchell scored 18 points and Bobby Portis scored 11. The other Miami starters struggled. Bam Adebayo scored four points, Andrew Wiggins scored eight, and Klay Thompson scored six points on two of eleven shooting. Miami shot 38 percent from the field. Through the first three quarters, Detroit held the Heat to nine of 39 shooting from three point range.

What comes next

Detroit continues its road trip on Sunday, October 25, at the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami plays the second game of a back to back set on Saturday, October 24, at the Charlotte Hornets. The Heat are still looking for their first win of the season.