Pistons vs. Heat: NBA Cup, new injuries, Ausar Thompson's status and how to watch

The Detroit Pistons will tip-off the first game of the NBA’s Emirates Cup tonight at home against the Miami Heat. 

The Pistons are in East Group B, which also includes Miami, Milwaukee, Indiana and Toronto, a tough group that does look slightly less intimidating after all of these teams have gotten off to a slow start. 

None of the teams in the group have a winning record, which is a theme in the Eastern Conference, as there are only two teams above .500. The Bucks and Raptors are at the bottom of the standings, which is an unexpected development, at least in the case of Milwaukee. 

The Pistons did get some good news yesterday, as Ausar Thompson has been cleared by the NBA to get back to action, which will have some ripple effects on the Pistons’ rotation. 

Unfortunately, Thompson’s return will be put on hold and another Pistons’ center may be joining the injury list, which would be a massive blow to the Pistons’ depth. 

Pistons injuries vs. Heat: Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart’s status 

Even though Thompson has been cleared to play, he won’t be making his debut tonight due to “conditioning purposes.” so we’ll have to wait a little longer to see the dynamic second-year wing. 

Jalen Duren has been upgraded to questionable, which is good news, but Isaiah Stewart is now on the injured list as probable for tonight’s game after tweaking his ankle against Houston. 

I have little doubt Beef Stew will play through it, but with him less than 100 percent and only Paul Reed backing him up, the Pistons are going to have their hands full against Bam Adebayo. 

Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for Miami, so Detroit will get a large dose of Jaime Jaquez Jr., who they need to shut down to win an advantage with Butler out. 

The Pistons did a poor job keeping the Houston Rockets off the offensive glass, so will have to secure rebounds, end possessions and take care of the small details if they want to get a much-needed home win against Miami. 

How to watch Pistons vs. Heat 

The 7:00 tip-off in Little Caesar’s Arena will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit or you can listen on 97.1 FM The Ticket. 

You can see your full Pistons’ streaming guide here for those who do not have cable. 

Keys to the game against Miami 

Both Detroit and Miami have struggled offensively so far this season, with the 25th and 22nd ranked offenses, respectively, so we can expect another close, defensive battle in this one. 

Given this will be a possession game similar to the one against the Rockets, the Pistons must take care of the ball and limit second chances for the Heat. 

The Pistons are currently 28th in the NBA in turnovers per game, while the Heat are just 9th, so this will be key. Detroit committed 17 turnovers in their first meeting with Miami, which turned into 21 points, while the Heat had just 12, which was the difference in a game where neither team shot the ball well. 

At some point, the Pistons offense has to start clicking for them to consistently win games, but the good news is that the defense has been there so far. They will need their veterans to make some 3-point shots and hope someone off the bench (I’m looking at you Simone Fontecchio) can get hot. 

We also need a big bounce-back game from Jaden Ivey, who struggled mightily against Houston. The guards have to take care of the ball and the Pistons need to control the boards to have a chance.