MIAMI — The Pistons started their three-game road trip with a 128-111 victory over the Heat on Friday, Oct. 23 at Kaseya Center. With the win, the Pistons have opened the 2026-27 season with a 2-0 record. Here are three key factors from the game.
Robinson and Collins lead 3-point shooting
Cade Cunningham was pleased that the Pistons won their season opener against the Celtics on Tuesday, Oct. 20. However, he was disappointed they had to come back from a 22-point deficit, saying they shouldn't have found themselves in that situation in the first place. In their game against the Heat, the Pistons got off to a much better start, and their 3-point shooting was a huge reason for their success.
"We have a lot of guys who can shoot it," Duncan Robinson said. "This group also encourages each other, and the coaching staff also encourages guys. We had a lot of guys who made shots. We had a lot of participants."
Robinson and John Collins each contributed by making the team's first three 3-point field goal attempts. The impressive start set the tone as the Pistons went 8-for-15 from beyond the arc, building a 41-28 lead. By the end of the night, the Pistons made 18 3-pointers, matching last season's high mark.
As a former Heat player, Robinson said playing in Miami as a visitor felt like any other road game. Despite having no emotional ties to his former home, he still looked comfortable in Miami, knocking down five of his 10 attempts from behind the arc.
"Last year, I don’t think I had as much control over my emotions coming in here," Robinson said. "This year it was very different. Different feeling, just at peace with where I’m at and the situation that I’m in."
Since the start of the preseason, Collins has had a slow start with the Pistons. Playing just 70 miles from his hometown as a West Palm Beach native, Collins finally demonstrated why he was an attractive prospect in the sign-and-trade deal completed in July. He finished the game with a team-high 23 points, shooting an impressive 5-for-6 from the 3-point line.
Beyond his scoring, Collins helped the Pistons win the rebounding battle, 53-49, with seven boards.
The return of the Bench Mob
The Pistons celebrated the return of the Bench Mob, with the reserves totaling 64 points. Three players scored in double digits, with Paul Reed leading the bench with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Reed's performance was crucial, especially since he started for Jalen Duren, who left the game halfway through the second quarter with a right thigh injury.
"He plays to his own beat, and I think that’s hard for opponents to catch a rhythm when he is doing that," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "There’s no person I’ve ever been around that works harder on his game than P Reed."
In addition to Reed, Daniss Jenkins scored 15, while Isaiah Joe added 12. A key feature of the Pistons' 60-win season was their bench players' contributions. No bench player averaged more than 10 points per game, but many made meaningful contributions in various ways. The Detroit reserve unit finished the regular season ranked 11th in scoring, averaging 41.3 points per game.
"We have true depth," Collins said. "Not only that we have young legs, hungry guys, but we also have older veterans who have seen a little bit more of the league. Just a nice balance of everything."
A better night for Holland
Ron Holland II may not have scored in double figures, but the third-year forward still had a productive night. He finished with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 22 minutes. Holland's poise and demeanor stood out most, helping him play more intelligently and stay in control throughout the game.
The game against the Heat was a bounce-back performance for Holland, who only played a little under three minutes against the Celtics.
"That is who Ron is. He is elite when he is active defensively," Bickerstaff said. "When he is active offensively, crashing the boards and running the floor. He is an elite one-on-one defender. He can be disruptive on that end. I thought he did a great job tonight."
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Three factors that led to Pistons' blowout victory in Miami