MIAMI _ The Miami Heat only had 10 players healthy and available Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons. Two of those players were undrafted rookies. Two more were undrafted players in their second seasons.
Another of those two, however, were Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic _ a pair of former All-Stars and tone-setters. The two guards combined for 18 assists and, with them leading the way, the Heat assisted on 33 of 40 field goals. Miami built a double-digit lead early and never struggled with the Pistons on the way to a 117-108 win at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Butler finished with 20 points to go along with his 12 assists. Dragic scored 18 to go along with his six assists. Those undrafted, unheralded youngsters helped, too _ second-year swingman Duncan Robinson scored 11, rookie point guard Kendrick Nunn scored 20, and fellow rookie Chris Silva notched eight points and nine rebounds.
The style was how the Heat (7-3) had to win. Starting point forward Justise Winslow missed his third straight game because of a concussion and standout rookie wing Tyler Herro sat out with a left ankle sprain. Miami also continued to play without wing Dion Waiters, who is serving a 10-game suspension, and forward James Johnson, who is battling an undisclosed illness.
Detroit (4-8) faced dire straits, too. The Pistons didn't arrive in South Florida until about 5 a.m. after weather delayed the team's flight out of Michigan. In the afternoon, Detroit ruled out Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose. The Heat was shorthanded, but so were the Pistons and Miami jumped on them early. The Heat led 28-17 at the end of the first quarter and stretched it all the way to 59-37 by halftime in Miami.
In the fourth, Detroit trimmed the lead all the way down to 104-95 with 4:20 left. The Heat's passing shut the door.
