If the Miami Heat misses the playoffs for the third time in five seasons, games like Saturday will be the reason why. The Heat has hung around the fringes of the postseason mix in the Eastern Conference all season long — never climbing higher than the No. 5 seed and rarely dipping more than a few games worse than the No. 8 seed.
In front of 19,600 at AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami fell to the Detroit Pistons, 119-96. It was the Heat’s second loss this season to the Pistons, who currently hold the No. 8 seed and now a two-game cushion on the Heat for the final playoff spot in the conference.