Heat beats Pistons to win for seventh time in eight games. Takeaways and details

Takeaways from the Heat’s 118-110 win against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at Kaseya Center, on a day the Heat learned that Josh Richardson will miss the remainder of the season because of his shoulder injury:

▪ The Heat allowed the woeful Pistons to hang around all night before doing enough late to win for the seventh time in eight games.

A 9-52 team that lost 27 games in a row earlier this season gave Miami all it could handle.

Down by 10 after a quarter, the Pistons pulled to within 61-60 at the half, then surged ahead by four early in the third before a 15-0 stampede - spearheaded by Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo - put the Heat ahead 11.

But the Pistons weren’t done, not remotely so. They closed to within two late in the third, then trailed by only three with 4:16 left in the game.

After Terry Rozier missed a three, Cade Cunningham missed on the other end, but Jimmy Butler drove and created contact and hit two free throws to push the Heat lead to five.

Jaden Ivey’s basket closed Detroit’s deficit to within 106-103, and after Caleb Martin missed a three, Jalen Duren’s two free throws trimmed Miami’s lead to one with 2:40 to go.

But Terry Rozier responded with a driving layup, then stole the ball on the other end and dished to Duncan Robinson for a three. And suddenly Miami was back up six with 2:05 to go.

After Detroit again closed to within three, Butler used his savvy footwork for a basket to put the Heat back up five, and then hit his first three of the night with 21 seconds to go to put the Heat up eight.

Miami ultimately won despite shooting 2 for 11 on threes in the fourth.

“I anticipated it would be a physical and competitive game,” Erik Spoelstra said. “You can’t look at their record. I don’t think our guys were disrespecting them or overlooking them. It’s a level of physicality and speed and youthfulness they bring.”

Butler scored only 11 through three quarters but came alive with 15 in the fourth and closed with 26 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. He scored 15 of the Heat’s 25 points in the fourth.

Bam Adebayo shook off a 3 for 10 shooting start and scored 11 of his 18 in the third quarter.

Martin was very good in the first half, delivering 11 of his 15 points in the second quarter.

Duncan Robinson scored 10 of his 18 in the first quarter, then hit big threes during the 15-0 third quarter run and late when the game was tight.

Terry Rozier hit two threes during the Heat’s third quarter spurt, then made the two big plays late (the layup and assist on Robinson’s three).

“He has that clutch gene,” Spoelstra said of Rozier. “He lives for those moments. He has built a career over that. He had some massive playoff performances in Boston and as a fourth quarter playmaker and scorer with Charlotte.

“That was a big part of why we wanted him, another guy that can create off the dribble and create plays when they’re not obvious.”

In the process, the sixth-seeded Heat moved to 35-26 and closed to within one half game of No. 4 Orlando in a tightly bunched Eastern Conference. Miami plays at Dallas on Thursday and at Oklahoma City on Friday.

▪ Martin continued his best stretch of the season and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a strong second half.

Martin, who entered having hit 12 of his last 19 three-pointers, hit three of four in a 15-point first half and closed 3 for 6 on threes.

“He’s a great shooter,” Spoelstra said. “We tell him that all the time. You watch him in practice, he knocks them down as well as anyone. He’s a competitor. He’s great.”

Tuesday’s performance came in the wake of a high impact 18-point, three-steal performance in Saturday’s win against Utah.

Martin went scoreless in the second half against Detroit, but it didn’t matter.

Here’s some perspective on how well Martin has been playing: The Heat hasn’t been outscored during any of his minutes in his past 11 games.

Miami is a plus 86 (meaning Miami has outscored teams by 86 points) when Martin was on the floor during the Heat’s past 11 games.

But he has taken a physical pounding. Already dealing with a sore left thumb, Martin seemed to twist his ankle, late in the second quarter, when he landed awkwardly in the area where photographers sit on the baseline. But he re-entered with four minutes left in the third.

“As the game went on, I could tell it was tightening up,” Martin said. “I could tell I was less mobile as the game went on but I was still able to do what I needed to do.”

And if that’s not enough physical punishment, Martin on Saturday took six stitches when Butler accidentally whacked him in the mouth during the Jazz game.

Jaquez, meanwhile, had an impactful fourth quarter, scoring two important baskets and corralling four rebounds, though he wasn’t on the floor late.

▪ Butler continued his unusual streak and did what was needed with a strong fourth quarter.

Butler entered having recorded at least one steal and at least one three-pointer in 13 consecutive games, two behind Rafer Alston’s franchise record for that obscure feat. That was the longest active streak in the NBA and it remains alive - now at 14 - thanks to that three by Butler with 21 seconds left.

He had two steals earlier in the game.

Butler didn’t take a three until missing two early in the fourth quarter. Then he finally hit one in the final 30 seconds of the game.

Butler entered having hit at least one three in 14 games in a row, the longest streak of his career. That streak now stands at 15.

The most important ‘15’ on Tuesday were his 15 points in the fourth.

Spoelstra said it’s an “innate” feel with Butler when to take over.

”It’s not like we’re telling him in a timeout ‘it’s your time to take over,’” Spoelstra said.

Miami moved to 23-5 when Butler takes at least 11 free throws. He was 11 for 12 from the line on Tuesday.

▪ Erik Spoelstra opted for Orlando Robinson as his backup center of choice in the first half and then Thomas Bryant in the second half. The decision to play Bryant paid dividends.

Robinson again got the nod early in Kevin Love’s absence, even after going scoreless (with seven rebounds) in 26 minutes in his two previous appearances.

Robinson had five rebounds and shot 1 for 3 in seven unremarkable first half minutes before Spoelstra opted to give Bryant a chance in the fourth quarter.

Bryant, who returned from a three-game NBA suspension on Saturday against Utah, had played just 34 minutes this calendar year. This was his first appearance since a two-minute stint on Jan. 31 against Sacramento.

Bryant delivered a soaring, dynamic block of a Cade Cunningham attempted dunk, then blocked another shot a minute later.

Other than one missed shot (a three), the two blocks were Bryant’s only numbers in his stat line during his five minutes on the court.

▪ Already short-handed, the Heat lost Nikola Jovic to his first NBA ejection.

Jovic was called for his second technical foul, meaning an automatic ejection, midway through the third quarter after gesturing his arm in disgust following a foul call.

Jovic was whistled for fouling Isaiah Stewart, despite seemingly minimal contact on the play.

Jovic’s first technical came before the second quarter started when he threw the ball off the stanchion. He wasn’t upset about an official’s call, Spoelstra said.

Jovic hadn’t picked up a technical in his first 42 NBA appearances. On Tuesday, he picked up two in less than two quarters and departed with eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

“Will it be a teaching moment? Yes. But at the same time I like his emotions. It matters to him,” Spoelstra said.

Of Jovic’s emotions, Spoelstra said: “I’m not going to try to squash that. We love passion. We love competition. We love guys getting into all that.”

The Heat already was playing without Tyler Herro, who missed a fifth game in a row with a hyperextended knee; Love, who missed a third consecutive game with a sore heel; and Josh Richardson, who will miss the remainder of the season because of his shoulder injury.

Here’s more on Richardson’s season-ending surgery.