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Heat-Pistons Preview

Jan 29, 2010 - 3:25 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Miami (23-22) at Detroit (15-29), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Miami Heat have hit a bit of a rough patch. Being without Michael Beasley could make it hard for them to end it.

Looking to avoid matching a season high with their third consecutive loss, the visiting Heat hope to have the talented second-year forward in the lineup as they try for a fourth straight win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

After a mediocre rookie year and an offseason spent in a Houston rehab center for undisclosed reasons, the 6-foot-10 Beasley has been a key contributor for Miami (23-22) this season. He's second on the team with 16.0 points per game and third with 6.7 rebounds per contest, and he's started all 45 games.

The second-overall pick in the 2008 draft, however, will be a game-time decision Friday after he hyperextended his right knee in the first quarter of a 111-103 loss at Toronto on Wednesday. Beasley returned midway through the second quarter wearing a knee brace but did not play in the second half.

"It's scary, especially when I first did it," Beasley said. "I can run and jump so I should be ready for the next one (Friday at Detroit)."

The team said Thursday he was "sore with no swelling" and will be evaluated again Friday.

Though Beasley was held to 13.0 points and 4.5 boards against Detroit last season, Miami can't afford to be without its top offensive option behind Dwyane Wade.

Wade finished with 35 points and 10 assists against the Raptors, but Heat coach Erick Spoelstra said the team's rhythm suffered without Beasley, who scored six of the team's first 13 points.

Miami shot 5 of 22 from 3-point range and allowed the Raptors to shoot 56.8 percent overall two days after it fell 92-91 at home to Cleveland.

"Our rotation got thrown out of whack," said Spoelstra, whose team is trying to avoid losing three in a row for a third time this season. "With him out of there, I think it probably would have been different. Michael was playing in a good flow early in the game."

Spoelstra hopes that's not the case if Beasley's unable to play Friday, even against Detroit (15-29). The Pistons have lost three in a row since opening a season-high six-game homestand with a 92-86 win over Boston on Jan. 20.

This is the first of three meetings between these teams this season. Wade, averaging 31.5 points on 57.5 percent shooting in his last four contests, had 39 in the teams' last matchup at The Palace of Auburn Hills last season, helping the Heat snap a six-game road losing streak in the series.

Detroit's Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points in that game and had 17 with 11 assists in a 99-93 loss to Memphis on Wednesday. Richard Hamilton added 16 and 10 assists for the Pistons, who have averaged 90.6 points and shot 42.0 percent while losing 17 of 21 games.

Plagued by injuries all season, Detroit is seven games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We've talked at times," about the big picture, coach John Kuester told the Pistons' official Web site. "I really do believe what I've said throughout the year - valuing the moment. But there are stretches where we do look at certain things."

Though Hamilton is averaging 22.7 points in his last three games, the Pistons are likely to be without injured guard Ben Gordon (groin) for a ninth straight game and 20th this season.