Two seasons ago, Jerry Stackhouse was on a Detroit Pistons team that was swept by Miami 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

On Sunday, Stackhouse and his Pistons beat the Heat for the first time since April 12, 2000.

What's the difference between this 5-23 Miami team and the one that beat Detroit the past seven times they've met in the regular season of playoffs? Stackhouse says the answer is Jamal Mashburn.

"You definitely underestimate the presence of a Mashburn on that team," said Stackhouse, who scored 24 points against Miami on Sunday despite being limited to 28 minutes because of foul trouble. "That's what they're missing."

Mashburn was traded two summers ago in the deal that brought Eddie Jones to Miami. Since then, the Heat played primarily with Bruce Bowen at small forward position last season and LaPhonso Ellis and Jim Jackson this season.

Jackson has tried to be the inside-outside player Miami is lacking (he has shot 52 percent over his last four games), but his 6-foot-6 frame limits him against some of the bigger small forwards in the league. Jones has a decent post-up game but often gets muscled off the block and ends up with an isolation play on the perimeter.

"They've got (Alonzo Mourning) in the middle, Brian (Grant) can post and hits jump shots, Eddie is doing his thing coming off screens and creating problems and getting guys open shots," Stackhouse said. "I think they need that key component, even though Jimmy's been playing well, Mash could hurt you inside and out and that's little bit of something that they're missing."

? Scary moment: Jones went down in obvious pain in the third quarter Sunday after running into Mourning with his left shoulder.

It was the same shoulder Jones had surgically repaired this off-season, so the pain he felt when he went down shook the shooting guard.

"When it happened I was a little scared," Jones said. "It was stinging. When it stings like that, I was like, `Whoa.' "

Jones left the floor holding his left arm. But after stretching and icing his shoulder he returned to the game. He missed three of four shots after returning.

? Hot flashes: Heat coach Pat Riley said he has seen more consistency from Mourning recently, especially defensively.

"I'm beginning to see flashes of the old Zo more consistently," Riley said. "I think a player has to understand who he is, where he came from and what he's all about as a player. Zo was Defensive Player of the Year as a shot blocker and intimidator inside. That's where his greatness is and that's where he has to focus a lot more of his energy, defensive rebound the ball, clog up the lane and then let the offense just sort of come with it."

In his last five games, Mourning is averaging 15.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks.