Miami, FL
Detroit Pistons torched by Miami Heat for fourth straight loss
Is Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham the NBA’s most valuable player?
Omari and Bryce analyze the merits of Cade Cunningham as an MVP and which players may have a stronger case than the Pistons’ star player.
The Detroit Pistons’ slide continues.
They fell to the Miami Heat on the road, 121-110, on Sunday, March 8. It’s their fourth-consecutive loss – their first time dropping four in a row since opening the 2024-25 season 0-4. The Pistons (45-18) looked a step slow in the second half of a back-to-back, less than 24 hours after hosting the Brooklyn Nets at home Saturday.
Cade Cunningham returned from a one-game absence and carried the offense with 26 points and 10 assists. Jalen Duren also had a strong line, with 24 points and five rebounds. It was a poor night for the rest of the roster, as the Pistons shot 11-for-37 (29.7%) from 3. It also was a poor defensive night, as Detroit allowed Miami to shoot 47.3% overall and score 103 points through the first three quarters.
Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) missed his second straight game. The Miami Heat were led by Tyler Herro (25 points) and Bam Adebayo (24 points, nine rebounds, six assists).
The loss drops the Pistons (47-18) to just 2½ games up on the Boston Celtics – who have gotten a big boost from the return of Jayson Tatum – in the East. Still, even with the skid, the Pistons have a 6½ game lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers as they go for their first Central Division title since 2007-08.
Next up for the Pistons
The Pistons will get a chance to avenge Saturday night’s 23-point collapse as they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Extra). The Nets are contenders only for a top lottery pick. After that, the Pistons return home for a pair of games, against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday and the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Pistons’ defensive slide continues
Defense has been the biggest driver of the Pistons’ success this season. But they’ve slipped since the All-Star break, and their losing streak reflects it.
The Heat’ century mark through the first three quarters marked an uncharacteristically poor showing for a team that’s held the second-best defensive rating for most of the season. The Heat did so while shooting 48.6% overall, and committing just four turnovers against a Pistons team that leads the league in steals.
Entering Sunday, the Pistons were a mere ninth in defensive rating in nine games since All-Star weekend. Their backslide started before Thompson’s injury, but his absence has accelerated it. They have given up at least 30 points in five consecutive quarters, dating back to Saturday’s fourth quarter against Brooklyn in which they surrendered 34 points.
Cunningham takes over after slow start
The Pistons took the floor roughly 20 hours after they wrapped up Saturday’s loss to the Nets, with a cross-country flight sandwiched in-between. In the first quarter, they came out flat and endured one of their worst starts of the season.
They trailed the Heat 34-16 by the end of the period, after knocking down just six of 22 field goal attempts (27.3%) and one of nine 3-pointers. Duren opened the game with a dunk at the 11:28 mark. More than five minutes passed before the next bucket – an alley-oop dunk for Duren from Cunningham – with 7:07 to go.
Cunningham was aggressive and responsible for the bulk of the Pistons’ offensive production by halftime. He scored 13 points and dished out five assists on 5-for-7 shooting in the second quarter, and scored or assisted 23 of their first 30 points.
He led a 10-2 Pistons run to open the second quarter and cut an 18-point deficit to 10, the closest they got the rest of the way. It included a pair of 3-pointers, the second a stepback over Adebayo. Cunningham powered a second run at the end of the second, finishing an off-balance euro step hook and another stepback 3-pointer over Adebayo, and two assists to Duren for two dunks, within the final 2:17.
The two-man game between Cunningham and Duren was the only consistent production the Pistons could generate. They combined for nearly half of their total offense — 50 points on 19-for-30 overall shooting. The rest of the roster combined shot 19-for-60 (31.7%).
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
Miami, FL
Your 2026 Miami Dolphins Draft Picks Expectations
Highest ceiling: Proctor. There’s a reason they drafted him in the first round. If he loses 25 pounds, he can be a multi-time first team All Pro. But he has to put the work in and not be lazy.
Lowest ceiling: Caleb Douglas. Don’t see him fixing his drops. But I hope he proves me wrong.
Best overall pick: Jacob Rodriguez. Guy will be a sideline to sideline tackling machine.
Best value pick: Kyle Louis. He should have went in the 3rd round and will be a major contributor.
Best pick no one else sees as great…yet: Seydou Traore. The more tape I watch on this guy at Mississippi State, the more I like. If he refines his route running and hands, he could be our starting TE in 2 or 3 years.
Biggest reach pick: Caleb Douglas. See above. He should have went in the 5th, maybe 6th.
Biggest missed opportunity: Not drafting Bain. I sure hope those short arms limit him in the NFL. Now the guy has a huge chip on his shoulder and is pissed at the 14 teams that passed on him, including Miami. The guy was a menace in college. I’m not looking forward to facing the Bucs in the future.
Miami, FL
Miami Area Gets First New Manufactured Home Community in Decades
Miami-Dade County is one of the most desirable places to live in the country, but its median listing price of $595,868 is pushing many everyday people out of the market.
That’s why an affordable alternative is drawing attention.
Cottage Grove, a manufactured housing community under construction in South Miami-Dade, will feature 349 single-family homes with prices starting at just $129,900. It will be the first new manufactured housing development in Miami-Dade in decades.
“The interest has been tremendous,” Ross Partrich, the CEO of RHP Properties, which owns Cottage Grove, tells Realtor.com®. “The market is showing there’s a real need—we’ve had over 1,000 inquiries.”
RHP Properties has built manufactured housing communities across 31 states, including Florida, but this is its first project in Miami-Dade.
“Cottage Grove addresses a critical gap in the housing supply at a time when rising home prices and construction costs are putting homeownership out of reach for many families and when supply is shrinking due to redevelopment,” says Partrich.
According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, approximately 22 million Americans reside in manufactured homes. These homes are faster and cheaper to build.
“There’s much less waste and more precision when you’re building in a factory,” says Partrich. “The economies of scale are better, and we’re passing on the savings to our residents.”
About the community
At Cottage Grove, homeowners will own their houses but lease the land beneath them, paying $1,445 a month in lot rent.
Partrich says residents of the community will enjoy five-star amenities.
“That includes a beautifully maintained pool with a large sun deck, contemporary clubhouse, fitness center, yoga and lounge rooms, scenic biking and walking trails, and serene gazebos,” he says.
While many manufactured housing communities in Florida are age-restricted to 55 and older, this 92-acre community will welcome residents of all ages.
“The playground, expansive green spaces, and gated entrance add to the community’s appeal for families,” says Partrich.
Partrich says people have already begun putting down deposits on the homes—each of which has four bedrooms and is around 1,600 square feet.
“They’re spacious, with open floor plans, multiple living areas, and kitchens equipped with stainless-steel appliances and islands,” he explains.
The first group of homes is expected to be completed and move-in-ready by late summer.
Durability and long-term value
In hurricane-prone Florida, durability and safety are key considerations.
Homes in Cottage Grove meet a set of quality standards from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They’re set on concrete foundations, and Partrich says they’re able to withstand hurricane-force winds—which gives residents added peace of mind.
Over the past seven years, manufactured homes sold without land have appreciated by 51.6%, according to the Realtor.com Perks of the Park: Mobile Homes as an Affordable Alternative Report.
By comparison, median single-family homes rose 58.6% over the same period.
“Financing has typically been more challenging to obtain on manufactured homes, with fewer lenders and higher interest rates,” Florida real estate agent Cara Ameer tells Realtor.com.
“Most manufactured housing communities use land leases, adding a monthly fee that can make it harder for some buyers to qualify or stay long-term. As a result, appreciation has historically been more limited,” Ameer explains.
But Florida real estate broker Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, says he believes manufactured houses will only continue to rise in popularity, especially in the Sunshine State.
“Stronger manufactured homes are going to be big,” he says. “The reason is that people just want a piece of the American dream and don’t want to be stuck in rentals. These, in many cases, are stepping-stone communities that let someone get started and not be forced to move two counties away. It solves the problem of homeownership, individual placement, and a sense of community.”
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Miami, FL
Four Convicted in Miami for Roles in Killing of Haiti President
Four men were convicted in Miami for their roles in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse that further destabilized the government and led to years of violence in the country.
Jurors returned guilty verdicts Friday against the men, who prosecutors said had organized the plot using Colombian mercenaries and Haitian gang members to violently oust Moïse and replace him with a friendly successor to allow them to obtain lucrative contracts with the government. The group helped supply equipment from Florida to aid in the killing, prosecutors said.
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