Miami — The Pistons had avoided the spreading COVID issues that had decimated most of rosters around the NBA. Until this week.
With Cade Cunningham going into COVID health and safety protocols on Wednesday and then Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saben Lee and Rodney McGruder joining him on the list just hours before the Thursday’s tipoff against the Heat, the Pistons were in scramble mode.
Down five players, plus the injured Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk, they cobbled together a revamped lineup, with only nine players available — and they gave the Heat a good run, until some late 3-pointers pushed the Heat to a 115-112 victory.