Fighting back from an 18-point deficit, the Miami Heat courageously took the lead against the Detroit Pistons. It took overtime for the moment to come forth. And then the least expected happened. Renowned coach Erik Spoelstra rarely makes technical mistakes, but tonight’s lapse of judgment cost Vice City their first loss of the In-Season Tournament. It was a game they should have probably won.

Coming off a character-displaying win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami was brimming with confidence even though they missed out on the presence of Jimmy Butler. The Pistons’ strong opening pushed them to work harder. However, with Tyler Herro’s insatiable attacking prowess, Miami had the wins in their hands.

Spoelstra decided to call a critical timeout to go over their closing strategy. But only if he had a timeout. It resulted in a technical foul right after the Pistons took the lead with a Jalen Duren alley-oop. Malik Beasley didn’t shake at the line. With 1.1 seconds remaining and the game tied, there was most likely to be a second overtime. Spoelstra’s emotional decision caused a major setback.

The veteran head coach didn’t shy away from taking accountability. “I made a serious mental error. That’s on me. I feel horrible about it. There’s no excuse for that. I’m 17 years in. I knew in the huddle we didn’t have one. I got emotional in the huddle. I made a horrendous mistake,” he said of his game-costing error.

It was an uncharacteristic error from a man that is regarded as one of the astute basketball minds. Even though it happened, Spo is preaching his own philosophies and taking ownership where it matters. It will remain a memory that probably haunts him. However, his resilience will allow him to recover and get things back on track. Nevertheless, one team’s misery is another team’s reason for jubiliation.

The Pistons grab a first In-Season Tournament win

Last season, with Detroit sitting in the bottom standings, the franchise had a disappointing NBA Cup. They lost all four of their group stage games, never even competing for a chance to visit Sin City. However, even though they haven’t significantly transformed record-wise, the Pistons have drastically honed their identity.

Tonight, it all started and ended with Cade Cunningham as it has for the most part of this season. The dynamic point guard in his 21-point performance dished out 9 dimes and got every Piston player involved. The connectivity between him and Jaden Ivey brewed together well. Their combination and prowess saw five other teammates score in double-digit points.

However, even a discouraging deficit didn’t alter the Miami Heat’s toughness. Tyler Herro led the surge, scoring 40 points on the night. He even gave the lead to the organization in OT before the Duren lob. Spo’s uncalled error sadly curtailed the dazzling scorer from a chance to potentially win the game for the South Beach franchise.

However, in spite of the obvious error, the Pistons found the separation because of their constant rim pressure. The Pistons generated 24 points at the charity stripe, a 14-point advantage compared to their rivals. In that very fashion, they scored their last three points, sealing the game and their first-ever In-Season Tournament win.