Pat Connaughton saved 10 of his career-high 43 points for overtime, Kyle Kuzma chipped in with 22 in just 12 minutes and the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the visiting Detroit Pistons 140-133 on Sunday afternoon in a meaningless regular-season finale that took a back seat to Malik Beasley’s pursuit of the NBA’s 3-point crown.
The Pistons’ Beasley, who began the day with 312 3-pointers, one fewer than league leader Anthony Edwards, buried seven of 11 attempts from deep in just 19 minutes to move ahead by six pending the Minnesota Timberwolves’ later finale against the Utah Jazz.
Beasley finished with a team-high 23 points. The seven 3-pointers equaled his third-most this season.
The Pistons (44-38) entered the game locked into sixth playoff position in the East, where they will take on the third-seeded New York Knicks. They rested regular starters Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson in the rematch of a game they lost 125-119 Friday at home.
Likewise, the Bucks (48-34) knew beforehand that they’d finish fifth in the East and draw the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. They sat out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, as well as Damian Lillard, who hopes to return from a calf injury in time for the postseason.
With mostly reserves on the court, the Pistons used a 37-point third quarter to erase most of an early 22-point deficit and set up a tight finish that featured Detroit’s Lindy Waters III connecting on a pair of 3-pointers in the final 14.2 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Fouled shooting a 3-pointer, Connaughton opened the extra session by making two of three free throws to give the Bucks a lead they never relinquished en route to an eighth consecutive win.
Connaughton also found time for a game-high 11 rebounds for the Bucks. Tyler Smith went for a career-high 20 points and Pete Nance added a career-high 19. Jamaree Bouyea also recorded career-highs in points with 15 and assists with a team-high seven.
Waters backed Beasley for the Pistons with 18 points, all coming on 3-pointers, as Detroit wrapped up the regular season with four losses in its last five games. Marcus Sasser also had 18 points to complement a game-high 10 assists. Simone Fontecchio and Bobi Klintman added 15 points apiece, with Klintman’s total marking a career-high to go with a career-high six assists.
Tolu Smith aided the Detroit cause with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds in his NBA debut, while Paul Reed had eight points, six rebounds and a career-high-tying five assists.
