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Pistons, Heat finish off regular-season slate

Apr 15, 2009 - 5:38 AM By Matt Beardmore Stats Writer

Detroit (39-42) at Miami (42-39), 8 p.m. EDT

MIAMI (AP) -- In a game with little at stake for either team preparing for the playoffs, Detroit and Miami close out their respective regular seasons on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena.

While the Pistons are stumbling toward their eighth straight postseason appearance, the Heat have growing playoff expectations following a forgettable 2007-08.

With 11 losses in its last 17 games including a 91-88 defeat to Chicago on Monday, Detroit (39-42) is locked into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round matchup against top-seeded Cleveland.

Detroit will post its first losing record since going 32-50 in 2000-01, its last non-playoff season.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't do a better job tonight," Pistons coach Michael Curry said after the loss to the Bulls. "We didn't stay disciplined down the stretch."

That has been a problem all season for Detroit, which has lost 12 times when leading after three quarters. The Pistons led Chicago by six with 12 minutes remaining.

"Tonight just sums up the way we have been playing the whole season," Antonio McDyess said. "We're up in the fourth and we just let the game go. Playing Cleveland, Boston or Orlando - it doesn't matter at this point. If we can't do this during the regular season, it is definitely going to be hard to do it in the postseason."

With Game 1 in Cleveland the next meaningful contest for the Pistons, Curry could limit minutes for his regulars in Wednesday's finale.

Miami (42-39), meanwhile, has already shut down some of its key players. The Heat were without Dwyane Wade, Jermaine O'Neal and Udonis Haslem for Tuesday's 81-79 loss at Atlanta as they prepare for their first playoff appearance in two seasons.

After scoring a career-high 55 points in Sunday's 122-105 win over New York to clinched the No. 5 seed, Wade did not dress for Tuesday's game against Miami's first-round playoff foe. He is not expected to play Wednesday, either.

"Any rest helps the body," Wade said. "We won't play (the Hawks) until possibly Saturday. That's a nice amount of days."

Assuming Wade doesn't play against the Pistons, he will win his first career scoring title at 30.2 points per game.

After matching a franchise low with 15 wins last season, the Heat will make at least a 27-game improvement in 2008-09. Wade and Miami, though, won't be satisfied with a mere cameo appearance in the playoffs.

"(Making the playoffs) was accomplished when we got our 40th win and it's all good," Wade said. "But at the same time, what's sweet about it is there's nobody that's really satisfied because we can be a lot better. We know that. We feel it coming."

Rookie forward Michael Beasley posted his eighth double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's loss. He's averaging 10.0 points and 4.3 boards as Miami has won two of three from Detroit this season.

The last time the Heat won the season series against the Pistons was 2000-01, when they were victorious in all four matchups.