Pistons vs. Heat final score: Drummond dominates Whiteside, Heat in 107-84 win

The Pistons needed this one. Losers of four straight, including two by a combined six points, Detroit was able to dominate the Miami Heat from the opening tip in a 107-84 victory.

It was a big bounce back in energy and effort for the whole team, but none more so than for Andre Drummond. A night after being outplayed by Clint Capela, Drummond was focused on his matchup against Heat star Hassan Whiteside.

In the battle of the bigs, Drummond dominated. Dre had 18 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and four blocks, including a couple emphatic rejections on Whiteside.

It wasn’t just Drummond, however, as the Pistons made sure there was always a body on Whiteside to prevent easy baskets and limit rebounding opportunities. Averaging a league-high 15.9 rebounds entering the game, Whiteside was limited to just eight boards. It was the first time all season Whiteside hasn’t tallied double-digit rebounds.

Offensively, the Pistons featured a well-balanced attack, led by a game-high 22 points from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Tobias Harris chipped in 17 while Beno Udrih had 12 points and five assists off the bench.

The Pistons were locked in early, with their defense leading to running opportunities and quality offensive looks. The Heat were limited to 36 percent shooting. Just one starter, Dion Waiters, scored in double figures (11 points), and the starting lineup combined for just 32 points on 31 percent shooting.