MILWAUKEE — The Detroit Pistons ended their 2024-25 season Sunday with a loss. Now, they can prepare for the New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs.
The Pistons fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road in overtime, 140-133, at Fiserv Forum. Both teams were shorthanded, resting starters and veterans with the postseason set to begin next Saturday.
The Pistons finished 44-38, tying their mark in 2015-16, and as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference will face the 3-seed Knicks (51-31) at Madison Square Garden in a week. The Pistons won three of four in the regular season.
They were led in scoring Sunday by Malik Beasley's 23 points in 19 minutes off the bench, and Marcus Sasser finished with 18 points and 10 assists.
The Pistons were without Cade Cunningham, a last-minute scratch with left knee patellar tendinopathy. Isaiah Stewart missed his second straight game with left knee inflammation, and Ausar Thompson also sat with left knee patellar tendinopathy.
The Bucks rested most of their core players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince.
Even without their superstar, they dominated most of the first half by knocking down 14 of 24 attempts from 3, building a 71-55 halftime lead. Flint native Kyle Kuzma stepped up with 22 points in the first quarter, but sat the rest of the game after just 12 minutes.
After trailing by as many as 22 in the first half, the Pistons rallied in the second half. They outscored the Bucks by 10 points in the third quarter, and opened the fourth with an 11-3 run to take the lead, 103-101, midway through the period. Down 123-120 with 8.3 seconds left, Lindy Waters III knocked down a corner 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining to force overtime. He finished 6-for-16 shooting, all 3s, for 18 points in 35 minutes.
The Bucks opened overtime with an 8-0 run, with Pat Connaughton making two out of three free throws following a flagrant foul from Smith and made 3-pointer, to put the game away. It was a career game for Connaughton, who stepped up with a career-high 43 points (16-for-29 shooting) and 11 rebounds.
The 5-seed Bucks (48-34) will visit the 4-seed Indiana Pacers in a first-round rematch.
Malik Beasley goes for NBA 3-point title
It has been a historic season for the veteran sharpshooter, who already owned the single-season franchise record for made 3-pointers with 312 going into Sunday. He’s one of just five players — including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden and Anthony Edwards — in NBA history to make at least 300 3-pointers in a season.
