The Detroit Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of the first round to move on to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

The Pistons successfully completed a 3-1 series comeback with their Game 7 win. The Pistons scored 40 points in the second quarter to have a double-digit lead at halftime.

Cade Cunningham had a strong game with 32 points and 12 assists. Cunningham was playing well even when the Pistons fell down 3-1. Cunningham is averaging 32.4 points per game in the playoffs, making him the leading scorer in the playoffs so far.

However, the Pistons couldn’t have won without Tobias Harris. Harris scored 30 points and secured nine rebounds. Harris averaged 21.6 points per game in the first round series. Harris signed a two-year, $52 million contract with the Pistons in the 2024 offseason. Some analysts thought this contract was an overpay, but Harris’ shooting and veteran leadership have been valuable for the Pistons. 

Paolo Banchero kept the Magic in the game with 36 points, including 15 in the second half. Banchero averaged 26.3 points per game in the first round series. Desmond Bane also had a solid game with 16 points and three 3-pointers made. 

Franz Wagner missed the final three games of the series with a right calf strain. He was averaging 17 points per game before his injury. Injuries have unfortunately been a consistent issue for Wagner the past two seasons. He played 60 games last season and just 34 this season. 

The Pistons will start their second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 5. The Pistons split the season series with the Cavaliers 2-2.

The Pistons only played one game against the Cavaliers after Cleveland acquired James Harden. Harden scored 18 points against them on March 3 to lead the Cavaliers to a 113-109 win.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is expected to miss at least two weeks with a collapsed lung.

Although Cunningham’s collapsed lung is considered mild, the Pistons are still going to be cautious. He left the last game against the Washington Wizards after just five minutes. 

A collapsed lung occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and the chest, causing the lung to collapse. It’s an uncommon condition, but not unheard of in the NBA. Gerald Wallace, Terrance Jones and C.J. McCollum all had to miss games due to a collapsed lung. McCollum missed 18 games in 2021, totaling 41 days.

Based on the current timetable, Cunningham will miss games against the Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors and another game against the Timberwolves.

There are several difficult matchups coming up for the Pistons. The Lakers are on a seven-game win streak, the Hawks are on an 11-game win streak, and the Thunder are on a 10-game win streak. 

The last time the Pistons had to play without Cunningham was on March 7 against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets came back down 23 to defeat the Pistons with strong contributions from Ziaire Williams (23 points) and Day’Ron Sharpe (13 points). 

If the current timetable stands, Cunningham will return on April 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be with five games left in the regular season. That’s the exact number of games Cunningham needs to play to be eligible for major awards like MVP and the All-NBA team. NBA.com currently ranks Cunningham in the top five in MVP voting. 

The Pistons will play their first game since Cunningham’s injury announcement on March 19 against the Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

The NBA has announced suspensions for the players involved in the Feb. 9 fight in the game between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets.

Isaiah Stewart was suspended for seven games, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were suspended for four games and Jalen Duran was suspended for two games. 

The fight happened in the third quarter of the game. Duran drove to the basket and received a hard hit from Diabate. Duran expressed his anger to Diabate, who punched Duran. This sparked a fight that took a minute to fully stop.

Bridges attempted to defend his teammate and attempted to hit Duran. Stewart saw this and started to punch Bridges. 

Stewart received the longest suspension for several reasons. First, he wasn’t in the game at the time the fight broke out. NBA rules strictly prohibit players from stepping onto the court during a fight. The press release for the suspension said that Stewart’s history of violent behavior on the court also contributed to his lengthy suspension. This is Stewart’s fifth time being suspended. 

Lamelo Ball and Tre Mann were seen stepping on the court during the fight. Generally, this is supposed to lead to a one-game suspension. However, they left the playing area immediately upon request, so the league decided to be lenient with them. 

The players will serve the first game of their suspensions on Feb. 11. Since this suspension falls during the All-Star break, Stewart will be suspended until March 3. 

Although Duran will also be suspended through All-Star weekend, this suspension does not affect his eligibility for the All-Star game. Duran was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and will represent Team USA-A with his teammate Cade Cunningham. He will be eligible to return to regular-season play on Feb. 21.

The Chicago Bulls will get young bucket-getter Jaden Ivey in a three-team deal. 

On Feb. 4, the Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons made a three-team deal. The Bulls got Ivey and Mike Conley, the Pistons got Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and a 2026 pick swap with the Timberwolves, and the Timberwolves got cash considerations.

Ivey was averaging 17.6 points per game last season before he got injured. This season, he’s struggled to find a consistent role with the Pistons, and his average has dipped to 8 points per game. Conley was traded to the Charlotte Hornets after this trade.

Huerter and Saric give the Pistons much-needed spacing. The pick swap will allow the Pistons to move up a bit in the draft, which could be significant in such a loaded class.

The Timberwolves mostly wanted to clear salary cap space. Conley is making $9 million this season and will make $10 million next season. Clearing up this salary could open up trade possibilities for a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

At the time of the trade, the Pistons looked like the winners. They fixed a key issue on their roster and acquired a potentially valuable asset in this season’s draft. 

If Ivey can get back to his play before the injury, the Bulls could come out of this deal pretty strong as well. Coby White was a part of the deal that sent Conley to the Hornets. This trade will open up space for Ivey to be the second guard next to Josh Giddey. 

The trade deadline is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. EST. The Pistons are the team most likely to be active. They hold the No. 1 seed, but conference rivals like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have made big improvements in recent trades

Malik Beasley will no longer be a target of a federal gambling investigation, attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter said.

The news means Beasley could potentially enter free agency this summer. The Florida State alumnus is already being linked to the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

On June 29, federal authorities opened an investigation into the 28-year-old shooting guard on allegations of gambling and prop bets for NBA games. Beasley faced allegations from the 2023/24 season, where a U.S. sportsbook recorded an unusually high number of betting interests regarding Beasley’s statistics.

This is not the first time an NBA player has been under investigation for alleged betting probes. In April 2024, the NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Turner following an investigation that revealed he had tipped off bettors, bet on games while playing in the G League, and limited his game participation while playing with Toronto.

Miami Heat shooting guard Terry Rozier was also under investigation related to sports betting in early 2025. Rozier continued to play for the Heat and was not charged or accused of any crime.

Before June’s investigation, Beasley was set to sign a reported three-year, $42 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. This came following Beasley’s second-place finish in the 2024/25 Sixth Man of the Year award, where he played 82 games in his first season with the Pistons. The shooting guard averaged 16.3 points, helping Detroit finish 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record. The Pistons were eliminated in the First Round by the Knicks.

If Beasley were to sign for another team, it would be the seventh different franchise he’s joined since beginning his career in 2016 with the Denver Nuggets. In the last five seasons, Beasley has played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Milwaukee Bucks and ended last campaign in Detroit.

In 2021, Beasley was suspended by the Timberwolves for 12 games after threatening a family that was househunting near his home with a gun.

The New York Knicks fell to the Detroit Pistons 100-94 on Monday. Following the loss, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was not shy about expressing his thoughts on the officiating.

The game, which saw the Pistons take 34 free throws compared to 19 for the Knicks, was controlled by Detroit throughout. Three players on the Knicks finished with four or more fouls by the end of the game.

“Huge discrepancy in free throws, huge,” Thibodeau said during the post-game press conference. “I don’t understand how on one side, the guy’s getting fouled and it’s not getting called.”

Only three players on the Knicks shot free throws. Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. Brunson made nine of the team’s 16 free throws.

While the free-throw difference was largely in the Pistons’ favor, they had more fouls called on them than the Knicks, with 24 and 22, respectively.

Brunson finished the game with 37 points and seven assists. He also shot 11 free throws, the second most of any player in the game.

He was the only Knicks player to eclipse 20 points or six assists.

The series is now tied 1-1 and headed to Detroit. Game three will be played on Thursday, and the Knicks have opened as a slight one-and-a-half-point favorite.

For the Knicks and Thibodeau to take a game on the road, they’re going to need better free-throw luck than on Monday.

There are currently six teams in the NBA that have 40 or more wins as of March 5.

They are the teams that are struggling to reach double digits in wins.

The worst NBA team of the 2023-2024 season is coming down to the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons, who are both an abysmal 9-52 as of writing. Both teams are on track to finish with among the worst win-loss records in NBA history. How did both teams get here? Here’s how:

Washington Wizards

Washington wasn’t too awful to start the season – they were 2-5 in early November, albeit those two wins came against a Grizzlies team trying to figure out how to play basketball without superstar Ja Morant, and a Hornets team that is not much better than the Wizards. However, the team lost nine straight games after that win over Charlotte, a preview of a season that featured numerous long losing streaks, including a 15-game streak that has yet to end as of writing.

Small forward Kyle Kuzma is having a successful individual season, averaging 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. The offense as a whole is ranked 15th in scoring, with Jordan Poole and David Avdija aiding in scoring buckets. However, the Wizards rank last in the league in points allowed, letting up 124.7 points per game. Washington also allows 120.1 points per 100 possessions, and if that stat lingers for the rest of the season would be the highest number since 1996-1997. One can only imagine if the defense was middle-of-the-pack like the offense.

Detroit Pistons

What more can be said about the 2023-2024 Detroit Pistons? The team has been so pitiful there is a treasure trove of social media memes about them – to the point where after a while you simply feel bad for coach Monty Williams and his squad. The most infamous has to be the record-setting 28-game losing streak earlier in the season, which grabbed the interest of NBA fans, wondering when the team would halt the futility.

Even more incredible is that the Pistons were 2-1 to start the year, recording wins over the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets before starting the 28-game slide.

Point guard Cade Cunningham is a star and does his best to give the Pistons a fighting chance in every game, averaging 22.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists. Small forward and veteran Bojan Bogdanovic is putting up great offensive performances as well, averaging 20.2 points per game. However, the Pistons offense ranks 27th in points scored per game and is a poor free-throw shooting team. They are slightly improved since the historic losing streak, winning three games apiece in both January and February to catch up to the Wizards in the Eastern Conference and overall standings.

Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama earned the first triple-double of his NBA career in a 130-108 win over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night. Wembanyama accomplished the feat in just 21 minutes on the floor, making it the second-fastest triple-double in league history.

“Doing it in a win is everything, of course,” Wembanyama said after the game. “I didn’t know it was the second-fastest in NBA history. It matters to me. I’m not the type to talk for nothing. This is the kind of statement we want to make as a team, and this is the type of statement I want to make as a player.”

Despite resting for most of the second half, Wembanyama still managed to burn the Pistons for 16 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists over 21 minutes and two seconds. In this obscure category, Wembanyama is only behind Russell Westbrook, who earned a triple-double for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014 in 20 minutes and 17 seconds.

Though the Spurs have struggled all season and currently hold a 6-30 record, their first overall pick in the 2023 draft has delivered in his first few months with the team.

In addition to making history in his career, Wembanyama also became the second player in Spurs franchise history to earn a triple-double, joining fellow big man David Robinson. Robinson earned his first triple-double at 23, making 20-year-old Wembanyama the youngest Spurs player to achieve the feat as well.

On the other side of the ball, the Pistons, one-time suitors for Wembanyama before they lost the 2023 draft lottery, struggled all night without injured point guard Cade Cunningham. After snapping their historic losing streak at 28 games earlier this month, the team has not won again and currently holds a 3-35 record. After the game, Wembanyama reflected on a time when he thought he might have been drafted by Detroit.

“It’s weird to imagine a different future and what it could have been,” Wembanyama said of the Pistons. “I’m glad it is the way it is though.”

Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was ejected Wednesday night after striking Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley and earning a flagrant foul. The ejection did not prove too impactful as Detroit limped home to a 129-111 loss, their 21st straight this season.

Stewart fouled Beverley in the third quarter when he was defending and seemed to unintentionally drive the guard to the ground. Officials reviewed the play and ruled that it required a two-call foul, resulting in an immediate ejection. But while Stewart’s absence hurt Detroit, the team was already trailing and did not make a compelling comeback bid thereafter.

With the latest loss to the Sixers, the Pistons extended their losing streak to 21 games. They have not won since October 28 and are now tied with the 1979-80 and 1980-81 Pistons for the eighth-longest losing streak in NBA history. The all-time record in 28.

To say that the Pistons have been historically bad this season would not be an exaggeration, as the team currently holds a 2-22 record. Somewhat humorously, this means that they began the season with a 2-1 record. Detroit has effectively been eliminated from playoff contention for weeks and the postseason is still months away. Though the team is young and it was often predicted that players would go through growing pains, incompetency of this caliber is impossible to forecast.

“I don’t want anyone to be happy in this situation,” Pistons coach Monty Williams said after the game Wednesday. “I want to see an ornery locker room that’s tired — not just of losing, but tired of missing shots and tired of giving up 39-point quarters.”

Over time, the Pistons could eventually build an effective system around the likes of young stars Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson. But the 2023-24 season will likely be one to forget as the team tries to find its identity in the cellar of the Eastern Conference.

Retired NBA players Glen Davis and Will Bynum were convicted in Manhattan for their parts in an expansive scheme to defraud the league’s health care system. They are awaiting a sentencing hearing and could face jail time, where they would join three former players who have already been sentenced.

The scheme allegedly involved 18 ex-players submitting fake reimbursement claims to the league’s health and welfare benefit plan. This apparently earned the group $5 million.

Terrence Williams, a 2009 first-round draft pick, was sentenced to 10 years in August for leading other players to engage in the scheme. Alan Anderson and Keyon Dooling have also received prison sentences for smaller roles. The other 13 indicted players have not yet been convicted.

New York attorney Damian Williams, who oversees the Southern District, released a statement after Davis and Bynum were convicted.

“Moments ago, a Manhattan jury convicted former NBA players Ronald Glen Davis and William Bynum of a criminal scheme to defraud the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan. While many of the more than 20 defendants convicted in this case were well-known NBA stars, their conduct was otherwise a typical fraudulent scheme designed to defraud the NBA’s health care plan and net the defendants over $5 million in illicit profits. Today’s conviction exemplifies that despite notoriety or success in sports or any other field, no one is exempt from criminal charges if they engage in fraud.”

Based on Williams’ sentencing in August, Bynum and Davis should receive lighter sentences. But based on New York laws concerning wire fraud and health care fraud, the pair could receive at least 20 years with a maximum sentence.

Davis played in the NBA for eight seasons and notably spent four years with the Boston Celtics, where he won a championship in 2009. Bynum was a member of the Detroit Pistons for most of his eight NBA seasons.

The Suns have unexpectedly joined the search for a new coach, along with the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors, after they let go of Monty Williams last week.

This came not too long after falling short, four games to two, in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets. The 51-year-old Williams took responsibility for the elimination loss, despite two of the team’s starters Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton being out of the lineup with injuries.

“I take that personally, not having our team ready to play in the biggest game of the year,” Williams said.

“Monty has been foundational to our success over the past four seasons,” James Jones, the Suns’ president of basketball operations and general manager, said of Williams.

Former NBA Champion Stephen Jackson expressed disapproval of the Williams situation on the podcast I Am Athlete.

“I didn’t think they was gonna get rid of the coach. I think he was the right coach for the job. But you know how they do,” Jackson said.

Williams coached the Suns for four seasons, winning about 63% of those contests, after being hired in May 2019. In that span of time, the Suns made the playoffs three out of those four years and even made an NBA Finals appearance in the 2020-2012 season. The very next year Williams was awarded the NBA Coach of the Year and coached Team LeBron to a three-point win in the All-Star Game.

With reports of a couple of different teams, including the Bucks, Pistons and Raptors, being curious about his future availability, it seems rather unlikely that Williams will end up too far from courtside. After being a large part of the Suns clawing out of the bottom half of the Western Conference, the former NBA small forward and Olympic gold medalist will now seek an opportunity somewhere else.

Orlando Magic power forward Paolo Banchero put on a show in his debut Wednesday night, scoring 27 points with nine rebounds and five assists in a losing effort to the Detroit Pistons. The 19-year-old first-overall pick became the first player since LeBron James to earn a 25-5-5 in his first regular season game.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1583072482176557057?s=20&t=ylK8zkjOrB9qO-d6L7LWGw

Coming out of Duke last season, many experts viewed Banchero as the best prospect in his draft class, having scored 17.2 points per game for the Blue Devils despite playing through a medical condition that made him sweat profusely and lose up to seven pounds per game. The Magic selected him first overall in a decision that seems rewarding thus far.

Banchero’s debut, in which he played for 35 minutes, began quickly in the first quarter when he scored the Magic’s first two baskets of the game. For a player with severe stamina issues in college, it was encouraging to see him finish well, as he scored 13 points in the fourth quarter in the midst of a failed Orlando comeback bid. He went 11-for-18 over the course of the game and five-for-seven on free throws.

Following the game, the promising teen said he was happy about his performance but expressed a greater desire to win.

“It means a lot, I guess,” Banchero said. “Obviously, would have liked to win. But I just wanted to play hard, play for the team, and that happened, so it’s a blessing.”

The Magic are coming off a 22-60 regular season last year and expectations remain extremely low in 2022-23. More than anything, this season could be an opportunity for Banchero, along with a slew of other young stars, to develop and mature as a team. Only two players on the roster are older than 25.

Following a hot start to the season, other tests lie ahead for Banchero, as the duration of the season and natural growing pains for the team are sure to present new challenges. Following a highly successful debut, however, his potential is now widely understood.

Klay Thompson is officially back, as he had 21 points, while reigning scoring champ Steph Curry added 18 as Golden State rebounded from a tough road trip (2-5) to rout the Detroit Pistons 102-86 Tuesday night.

“I had a great time tonight, wish I made a couple more shots, but I just had a great time, it was fun,” said Thompson, who was showered with cheers each time he came into the game—just his second home affair since a pair of injuries and surgeries cost him more than 2 1/2 seasons. “I don’t care if I miss 100 shots in a row, I’m never going to stop shooting the ball. I love it too much and I work too hard not to.”

Returning after a one-game absence (hand), Curry went 6-for-11 with four 3-pointers and eight assists.

“It happens fast,” teammate Andrew Wiggins (19 points) said of the “Splash Brothers’” domination. “They heat up fast. When they do it’s damn-near impossible to stop.”

“It was great,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That was probably [Thompson’s] best stretch of however many games he’s played. It was good to see him get hot and hear the crowd behind him.”

Golden State hit six of its first nine threes to amp up a 33-22 lead after the opening stanza.

“Once they started seeing shots go in from the 3-point line, they started to get going,” said Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons.

Rodney McGruder scored a season-high 19 points with four 3-pointers off the bench. The Warriors’ Draymond Green sat out a fifth straight game (left calf).

“They are doing plenty of rehab and he is making improvements every day,” Kerr said. “We’ll re-evaluate in two weeks.”

The Pistons visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, while the Warriors host the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night to continue a seven-game home stretch.

The Indiana Pacers have signed Rick Carlisle as their new head coach. “Rick is a proven winner with a championship and will be a Hall of Fame coach,” said Pacers president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard. “He has demonstrated throughout his career an ability to build something with sustainable success. He has great respect for our franchise and our fans from his previous times here. We are very happy to welcome him back to Indiana.”

Carlisle joins Indiana one week after parting ways with the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle coached Dallas for 13 years and led them to the playoffs nine times, including a championship in 2011. The Mavericks’ season ended in a first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Carlisle will begin his second stint with the Pacers next season. He previously coached Indiana from 2003-2007, leading them to the postseason four times. Indiana won 61 games with Carlisle in 2003-2004, and he was named the All-Star game head coach that season. The team was unable to replicate the same success in the following season due to the infamous “Malice at the Palace” that decimated the roster. The 61-year-old head coach has 836 career wins, the third-most among active coaches. He was also awarded the Coach of The Year in 2002 during his season with the Detroit Pistons.

Carlisle will attempt to improve a young Pacers team and lead them to the playoffs.

The Detroit Pistons earned the first pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, and Ben Wallace was there to represent the franchise. Wallace was recently announced as an inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and is a Pistons legend that helped the team win the 2004 NBA Finals.

The first pick will ensure the Pistons will add another top-level talent to their young team. Just last year, the Pistons took three players in the first round of the draft. It will also be the Pistons’ first top-five selection since 2003 when they took Darko Milicic second overall. It will be Detroit’s first top overall pick since they drafted Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier in 1970.

“Obviously we get to add another wing player to the restoration process,” Detroit’s general manager Troy Weaver said. “We’re excited to be in this position. But it means that we’ve got a lot of work to do, and we’re going to be diligent about it. But it always helps to be able to add the No. 1 pick.”

Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham is expected by many to be the first pick of the draft.

The top three picks of the draft are the Pistons, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rockets have entered a rebuilding process after trading away star James Harden to the Nets.

Cleveland has picked fifth each of the past two seasons, but this time they got lucky with the third pick. The Cavaliers are looking to make the playoffs next season with their young core of guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, forward Isaac Okoro and center Jarrett Allen.

The rest of the order is as follows:

• 4. Toronto Raptors
• 5. Orlando Magic
• 6. Oklahoma City Thunder
• 7. Golden State Warriors
• 8. Orlando Magic
• 9. Sacramento Kings
• 10. New Orleans Pelicans
• 11. Charlotte Hornets
• 12. San Antonio Spurs
• 13. Indiana Pacers
• 14. Golden State Warriors

Both the Warriors and Magic have two picks in the lottery.

On, Thursday the NBA announced the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team.

To no one’s surprise, Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball was unanimously selected to the First Team, as was Rookie of the Year runner-up Anthony Edwards. Tyrese Haliburton joined the two after receiving 98 of 99 First Team votes. Pistons forward Saddiq Bey and Houston’s Jae’Sean Tate were also voted to the First Team.

Ball, of the Charlotte Hornets, was recently announced as the Rookie Of The Year after averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in 51 games this season. The Hornets guard led all rookies in assists per game (6.1), steals (1.59) and rebounding (5.9). He was second in scoring (15.7).

Edwards led all rookies in scoring with 19.3 points per game. He also chipped in 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. However, Edwards ramped up his production following the All-Star break. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard averaged 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 36 games after the All-Star break. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the final three months of the season.

Haliburton averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Haliburton is the eighth player in the history of the Sacramento Kings’ franchise to make the All-Rookie First Team

Bey averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He was an impressive rookie for the Detroit Pistons. Bey was on pace to break the record for most threes made by a rookie, but the shortened season denied him the record. The Pistons’ rookie finished with 175 made triples.

Tate averaged 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Houston Rockets this season. Tate was one of 10 players to average at least 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals per game after the All-Star break.

The Second Team is comprised of Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, Cavaliers guard-forward Isaac Okoro, Pistons center Isaiah Stewart and Bulls forward Patrick Williams.

In what proved to be a close finish, the Detroit Pistons (9-14) defeated the Indiana Pacers (14-8) 108-101. The Pistons sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, led by stars Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.

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Coach Dwane Casey knew his team would have to be physical to compete against the Pacers. “We knew this was going to be a playoff-style game, and the way we played down the stretch was indicative of how we wanted to approach this one. We were boxing out, we were hitting guys and if we got a foul, it was a hard foul. It wasn’t anything dirty, just good physical basketball”, Casey said.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Detroit’s physical style of play forced Casey to defend his team against accusations of dirty play from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks superstar, after the Pistons lost to the Bucks (20-3) by a final of 127-103. Drummond echoed his coach by saying, “I think we definitely played tough tonight. Everybody one through 12, the guys that played, sustained the same toughness.”

Drummond capped off a big game scoring 25 points with 22 rebounds and an assist. Griffin added with 25 points and a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 41 seconds left. Bruce Brown Jr. had five points, eight rebounds and six assists. “We were great on the boards tonight, me and Dre combined for 24 or 25,” Griffin said.

The Pacers managed to stay close as T.J. Warren led with 26 points with a rebound and an assist. Malcolm Brogdon had 21 points with five rebounds and five assists, and Domantas Sabonis chipped in with 18 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Pacers coach Nate McMillan said, “It’s always about execution. We didn’t get stops when we needed them and when we did force a miss, they got the offensive rebound.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The Pacers look to bounce back as they take on the Knicks (4-18) in New York tonight, while the Pistons head down to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans (6-16) on December 9.

As the playoffs have just begun, teams are still figuring out the best way to defeat their opponents. The Milwaukee Bucks have carried their dominant play from the regular season into the playoffs with last night’s resounding effort. Led by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks haven been on attack this postseason, playing tough defense to get easy points.

Upset Alert?

In Game 1, the Bucks were very dominant, blowing out the Detroit Pistons and defending home court. Game 2, however, was a different story when the Pistons came out swinging and dominated the second quarter by outscoring the Bucks 32-20. Pistons big Andre Drummond kept several Bucks out of the paint and even gave Giannis some difficulty whenever he slashed through the lane.

For what seemed to be an easy series for the Bucks, they were surprisingly looking at a deficit.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Antetokounmpo, reflecting back on his previous playoff experience, said that he knew what it would take to win, as he did his best make sure the Bucks didn’t lose control of the series.

“We went through adversity, seven games last year. We know what it takes now and we’re focused.” said Antetokounmpo

Supporting Cast

While Antetokounmpo is if not the number one, but still one of the most unstoppable players on the planet, he got some help from his teammates. Veteran bull dog point guard himself Eric Bledsoe, was big for the bucks in Wednesday night’s win, being a hound on defense all night and still playing like a top-tier point guard. Bledsoe was setting up teammates all night as the Bucks went on a strong third quarter performance to take the lead. Bledsoe finished the game with 27 points.

Another likely but also unlikely hero for the Bucks that stepped up big is Khris Middletown. A knockdown shooter all year, and a great defender on the perimeter, Middletown is a big part of what the Bucks got going on. Middletown played strong, even slashing to the rim a smooth layup, but also being able to spot from the perimeter and beat the Pistons from the outside.

Middletown finished with 24 buckets and eight rebounds.

Thon Nooooo

Earlier on in the regular season, Pistons forward Thon Maker was traded from the Bucks. Maker was very close to the team and especially Antetokounmpo. Fast forward a few months, they get play each other in the postseason. Giannis made quick work of Thon rejecting him on one hand and turning into a NBA highlight reel on the other with the poster dunk.

The Bucks look to continue their dominance away at the Pistons’ arena, where they will be facing off in Motor City at 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday.

In November, Jimmy Butler got torched by Kemba Walker, who dropped a career-high 60 points that night. Butler wasn’t afraid to admit it, saying, “Kemba gave me 60. Let’s go to a different game.”

Butler Takes Shot At piston’s Griffin

The statement came after teammate JJ Redick praised Butler’s play on both sides of the ball during his podcast. That night, Butler also hit the game-winning shot along with a clutch block.

But what Butler said next wasn’t as graceful. Reddick said, “The other night, second half, you had to guard Blake Griffin.”

“Locked that up. Blake can’t score on me. I don’t care what you say. You heard that, Blake. Ain’t worried about you,” Butler replied.

On Friday, the Sixers  beat the Pistons 117-111. Butler was seen talking trash to Griffin and the two also got into a scuffle. Butler finished with a game-high 38 points and Griffin added in 28 points and pulled down 12 boards. The next time they faced off, Griffin sat out and Butler played only ten minutes. The two teams have finished their series for the season and won’t face off against each other unless it happens in the postseason. If the season ended today, the teams would play each other in the first round with the 76ers receiving home-field advantage.

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It should be noted that Butler has a history of media manipulation. He said the statements on his new teammate’s podcast. He also tried to downplay the infamous Timberwolves practice in which he insulted his teammates as he tried to force a trade out. Later that day, he sat down with ESPN for a one-on-one interview.

The Philadelphia 76ers (17-9) will face off against the Detroit Pistons (13-9) Friday night for an Eastern Conference showdown in the Motor City.

Throw down in Motown: 76ers visit Pistons On DEc. 7

The Sixers hit the road Friday night after being knocked off 113-102 by the East’s top-ranked Raptors (21-5) in Toronto. The Pistons also enter tonight’s matchup on a 115-92 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks (16-7) and will look to break out of their two-game losing streak at home in Motor City.

The 76ers own a 216-156 advantage in the all-time regular season series. This season, the teams have split two meetings, with the home team prevailing in both contests: the 76ers claimed a 109-99 win in their last matchup on Nov. 3.

Philadelphia had their four-game win streak snapped by Toronto Wednesday night. Philadelphia led by six after the opening quarter, trailed by four at the half and then seemed to run out of steam as they were outscored 35-25 in the fourth.

The Sixers shot 45.5 percent from the field in Scotiabank Arena and went 11-of-35 from three-point range in the contest while turning the ball over 21 times.

Jimmy Butler led the 76ers with 38 points, 10 rebounds and one assist in the loss. Butler has put up 20.6 points, 5.2 boards and 3.5 assists after a night with Minnesota and the 76ers this season.

The 76ers enter this game 8th in the NBA in scoring offense, with an average of 113.7 points per game in the early going. Philadelphia is 4th in rebounding with 48 boards per game and stands 5th in assists with 26.5 per contest. The 76ers are 21st in scoring defense by allowing an average of 111.8 points per game so far.

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The Sixers are 11th in field goal percentage as they shoot 46.2 percent from the floor. The 76ers are tied for 13th in three-pointers per game (11) but stand 18th in three-point percentage as they cash in 35 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.

After their five-game win streak ended Monday night in a 110-83 blowout defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder (15-7), the Pistons were blasted again on Wednesday night by the Bucks. Detroit was down nine after the opening quarter, 11 at the half and would draw no closer than that throughout the second half.

Offensively, the Pistons have been very mediocre this year, ranking 17th in scoring offense with 109.4 points per game. Detroit is 7th in rebounding with 47.5 boards per game and is below average sharing the ball, ranking 27th in assists with 21.3 per night. The team is 10th in scoring defense, as they allow 109.5 points a game.

Joel Embiid leads the team with 26.3 points plus 13.3 rebounds and 1.96 blocks per contest. Ben Simmons is averaging 15.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and eight assists per game and JJ Redick (18.7 points) is also averaging in double figures.

Amir Johnson, Landry Shamet and T.J. McConnell have been key pieces in head coach Brett Brown’s rotation. Markelle Fultz is expected to miss three to six weeks as he undergoes rehab on his shoulder.

Detroit is 30th in the league by shooting 43 percent from the floor. They will need more production out of Ish Smith (9.2 points), Langston Galloway, Stanley Johnson, Luke Kennard, Glenn Robinson III and Zaza Pachulia to provide depth and a scoring punch from the bench.

The Pistons are tied for 13th in the league in three-point field goals with 11 per game while ranking 28th by sinking 31.9 percent from downtown.

Milwaukee held the Pistons to just 36.8 percent shooting from the floor as Detriot went nine-of-38 from three-point range while turning the ball over 20 times in the loss.

Reggie Jackson chipped in 15.9 points plus 4.1 assists per contest, Reggie Bullock added 10.1 points a night and Andre Drummond posted 18 points and 15.5 rebounds per contest.

Blake Griffin led the way for the team with 31 points in the loss. Detroit is 6-7 ATS at home this season while the Thunder is 7-6 in those contests.

This game will air on ESPN, NSPA, and FSDT from Little Ceasers Arena at 7:00 p.m. EST.