Miami Heat Forward Praises Pistons Competitive Spirit

Caleb Martin tips cap to Detroit Pistons following close matchup.

On Tuesday night, the Detroit Pistons found themselves matched up against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. While they didn't walk away victorious, they did earn the respect of their competitors. 

Heading into this matchup, the Heat had been one of the hottest teams in basketball. Seeing that they were squaring off against one of the bottom teams in the conference, many likely weren't expecting a competitive matchup. 

In the end, the Pistons ended up making things interesting with the Heat. It could have gone either way down the stretch, but Jimmy Butler made sure to get his team over the hump. When the final buzzer sounded, the Heat walked off their home floor with a 118-110 victory. 

After the game, Heat forward Caleb Martin was asked about the fight shown by the Pistons. He cited their record more towards their youth, not a lack of talent. 

"They're a young group so a ton of guys on the team got a lot to prove and they're gonna come in and play well every night," Martin said postgame. "They're playing good basketball and some of that probably I'm sure has to do with experience...I think overall they have a lot of great pieces." 

Butler was arguably the biggest overall standout in the game, doing a little bit of everything in the Heat's win. He finished the night with 26 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. 

For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham continues to lead the charge with his impressive play since the All-Star break. The former No. 1 pick posted a stat line of 23 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. Simone Fontecchio was also big off the bench, notching 22 points. 

This loss marked three in a row for the Pistons. They'll look to get back on track Thursday night as they are slated to take on the Miami Heat.