Pistons 99-98 Heat
The Pistons win 89-88. Jackson scores 29 points, Drummond scores a double-double (11 points and 17 rebounds). Wade scores 24 points, Dragic scores 21 points and Whiteside scores a double-double (13 points and 12 rebounds) for the Heat. Coach Van Gundy:
Reggie really stepped up. We had a talk about him wanting to have the opportunity to be ‘the guy.’ Well, ‘the guy’ can’t be tired. I thought he…was not the least bit afraid to take the game on his shoulders tonight.
Jackson:
You gotta go. There’s no excuses, This is something I have been asking for my entire life, something I have always wanted. I want to be the man, and you have to go be special…Everything is kind of on my shoulders. We go as I go, so just continue to be aggressive, attack and make the right plays. You have to go chase it.
Coach Spoelstra:
I really don’t remember a defensive stop other than the second-to-last play in the last five minutes. (Jackson) made every big play and we just couldn’t get a relief stop or a relief bucket down the stretch.