Toronto — It seemed no player took Wednesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder harder than Malik Beasley. Given the number of players Detroit was missing, the Pistons needed a strong scoring night from the Sixth Man of the Year candidate. However, he delivered one of his worst shooting performances of the season, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
But the beauty of the NBA schedule is a player doesn’t have to wait long to bounce back from a disappointing outing. Forty-eight hours later, a 21-point performance by Beasley helped the Pistons end their three-game road trip with a 117-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
With Friday’s win, the Pistons improved to 43-34 overall and clinched a playoff spot for the first time in six years. Detroit will finish the season no worse than the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, one year removed from an NBA-worst 14-win campaign.
Jalen Duren had an impressive night with a near triple-double of 21 points, 18 rebounds and six assists.
“It’s a big deal for the group,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “For them to turn it around the way they have and to be in the postseason, it is a big deal. It is a credit to the organization. It is a credit to each one of those guys in the locker room. I am proud to be a part of it and work with these guys every day. It is a big deal for this group for sure.”
BOX SCORE: Pistons 117, Raptors 105
Ausar Thompson added 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. He played a vital role in helping the Pistons shake off a slow start, which led to Detroit holding a 29-28 advantage entering the second quarter.
The Pistons began to find a rhythm in the second period, but started to create separation in the third. They opened the second half on an 11-0 run, and built a 22-point lead (79-57) by the 8:32 mark of the period.
However, the Raptors gave Detroit a slight scare by embarking on a 15-4 run. Tim Hardaway Jr. helped the Pistons regain momentum by leading an 8-0 run at the end of the quarter. He nailed a 3-point field goal at the buzzer to give the Pistons a 93-77 lead.
Amid the sixth consecutive game Cade Cunningham missed due to a calf injury, Hardaway, who came into the night averaging 25.0 points over the last three games, finished with a team-best 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting with five made triples.
“We have a lot of keywords that built our culture since Day 1,” Duren said. “But we are not done yet. We are going to take a moment to enjoy what we accomplished, but this is only a milestone. The real goal is to bring a championship back to our city.”
Despite entering the fourth quarter with a double-digit lead, the Raptors went on one last run. They opened the period on a 14-4 run and came within four points (95-91) midway through the period. However, the Pistons picked up their intensity to keep the Raptors at a distance.
Ja’Kobe Walter led the Raptors with 22 points. Rookie Jamal Shead came off the bench and notched 14 points, nine assists and a pair of steals.
Observations and notes vs. Raptors
▶ Another double-double for Duren: Duren achieved his 39th double-double of the season. The Pistons are 28-11 when Duren accomplishes this feat.
▶ No Harris for Pistons: After leaving the previous game due to an Achilles injury, Tobias Harris remained out against the Raptors. The veteran forward has now missed three of their last four games.
▶ One away: After picking up their 43rd win of the season, the Pistons are one victory from tying their most wins since the 2015-16 season, when they won 44.
Up next
The Pistons will play the second night of their back-to-back set Saturday during an interconference match against the Memphis Grizzlies. The game will also mark the start of a three-game homestand for the Pistons. Tip-off between the Grizzlies and Pistons at Little Caesars Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
