Norman Powell and the surging Miami Heat rang in 2026 in style, toppling East No. 1 Detroit Pistons to extend their winning streak to four.
The calendar has flipped to 2026, but the Miami Heat’s winning fire shows no signs of cooling.
Norman Powell uncorked 36 points as the Heat held off a late Pistons charge, hacking out a 118–112 road triumph and stretching their streak to four straight on Friday, January 2 (PH time).
After closing out 2025 with three consecutive triumphs, Miami picked up right where they left off, showcasing a balanced team effort.
Powell buried seven triples, Jaime Jaquez added 19 points off the bench, and Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo chipped in 17 and 15 markers respectively.
With 2:18 left and down by 11, Detroit surged back, capped by Javonte Green’s triple that made it 114-112.
The Heat answered the call as Jaime Jaquez delivered a dagger turnaround jumper, stretching the lead to 116-112.
A critical turnover from Ausar Thompson then paved the way for Powell to ice the game at the line, finishing Miami’s thrilling road escape.
Cade Cunningham put up a strong showing with 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the Pistons’ third loss in four games, dropping their record to 25-9.
The Heat shoot for a fifth consecutive victory when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Pistons try to rebound on the road versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (19–16)
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.