"Minutes?" - Malik Beasley takes major shot at Knicks HC after fan claims Mikal Bridges is "going for 44" in Game 6
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley was in a good mood on Tuesday after they defeated the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first-round series. Beasley seemingly took a shot at Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after a fan's prediction for Game 6.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Beasley responded to a Knicks fan's claim that Mikal Bridges would score 44 points in Game 6. Bridges scored just 17 points in Game 5 as the Pistons outlasted the Knicks 106-103 at Madison Square Garden to send the series back to Detroit.
"Minutes?" Beasley wrote.
Malik Beasley was alluding to coach Tom Thibodeau's reputation for overplaying his starters. Mikal Bridges was on the court for 38 minutes in Game 5, so there's a chance he might get 44 minutes if the game is as tight as Tuesday's contest.
Nevertheless, the Pistons got the last laugh in Game 5, with Beasley scoring 10 points off the bench. Cade Cunningham led the way, finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Ausar Thompson contributed 22 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Six Knicks players scored in double digits, but it wasn't enough to send them to the next round. Jalen Brunson was clamped down by Thompson, scoring just 16 points on 16 shots. It was a close game, with the hosts having a chance to force overtime.
However, Miles McBride was fouled before he got an attempt from beyond the arc. He missed the first free throw, so he had no choice but to purposely miss the second one and hope for the best. Karl-Anthony Towns was able to tap the ball to the 3-point area, but there was no player there to receive it as the buzzer sounded.
Malik Beasley was the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year
One of the reasons why the Detroit Pistons were very successful this season was the addition of veteran players such as Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. Beasley became an integral part of coach J.B. Bickerstaff's rotation as a sixth man.
The nine-year NBA veteran averaged 16.3 points off the bench, which earned him a runner-up finish for the Sixth Man of the Year award. He came up short by 175 in the voting, with the Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard earning the nod. Pritchard was the favorite to win the award, but Beasley received 13 first-place votes.
Beasley previously drew the ire of Knicks fans when he hit a couple of dagger 3-point shots in their final matchup of the regular season. He blew kiss to the Madison Square Garden crowd that erupted in boos.
