THE Miami Heat extended their winning streak to four games with a 118-112 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night (Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, PH time).
Norman Powell scored 36 points and Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 14 rebounds for Miami, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Cade Cunningham finished with 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds for Detroit, while Marcus Sasser added 18 points.
Detroit trailed by as many as 22 points in the second half and was still down 114-103 with two minutes remaining before mounting a late push.
Powell missed a shot and Javonte Green drilled a three-pointer to pull the Pistons within two with 46.4 seconds left.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., however, answered with a short jumper to restore a two-possession cushion, and Ausar Thompson’s turnover forced Detroit to foul. Powell then sealed the win with two free throws, his first points of the fourth quarter.
Jaquez scored 19 points for Miami, and Andrew Wiggins added 17.
Detroit’s usual edge on the offensive glass failed to materialize in the first half. Miami grabbed 22 of 24 defensive rebounding opportunities and limited the Pistons to 2-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Powell had 19 points at halftime, including five three-pointers, as the Heat took a 63-54 lead.
Miami opened the third quarter with a 15-2 run to stretch its advantage to 22. Detroit missed its first seven shots and committed two turnovers during the stretch.
The Pistons’ reserves cut the deficit to 94-81 entering the fourth, highlighted by six points and five rebounds from Paul Reed. Sasser’s shooting brought Detroit within 98-92 with just over nine minutes left, but the Pistons could not generate enough stops to complete the comeback.
Celtics 120, Kings 106
Jaylen Brown had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics pulled away late for a 120-106 win over the Kings, the AP reported.
Brown shot 11 of 25 from the field, including 1 of 9 from three-point range, but made six free throws and added four assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
Derrick White recorded 16 points and seven assists, while Payton Pritchard also had 16 points and six assists as Boston improved to 3-1 on its five-game road trip.
Sam Hauser knocked down five three-pointers and finished with 15 points off the bench, while Anfernee Simons scored 14.
DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 25 points, Dennis Schroder had 18 and Keon Ellis added 16. The Kings have lost four of their last five games and nine of 11 overall.
White’s go-ahead three-pointer made it 93-90 with 10:45 remaining, and after Sacramento pulled within four midway through the quarter, Brown and White fueled an 11-2 run that put the Celtics comfortably ahead. Boston overcame a halftime deficit and closed strong after the teams were tied at 88 entering the fourth.
Elsewhere, Houston routed Brooklyn 120-96, Philadelphia won 123-108 at Dallas, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 118-101. / LBG