Bucks Playoff Seeding Could Alter Dramatically With Injury to Pistons Star

A key injury to a Detroit Pistons mainstay could have a major impact on the Milwaukee Bucks' playoff fate.

Heading into a Friday night matchup, the first of two, to close out their respective 2024-25 NBA seasons, both the Bucks and Pistons are competing for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Each club has already clinched a top-six seed in the conference, but both are technically still alive in the fight for the East's fifth seed. At present, the 49-31 Indiana Pacers hold the fourth seed, and would have homecourt advantage against either Milwaukee or Detroit in a 4-5 matchup. The 50-30 New York Knicks are the conference's No. 4 seed, just one game clear of Indiana.

That No. 3 seed is very much up in the air, as well.

Milwaukee has struggled to match the Pacers', well, pace in the past, and fell in a six-game first round playoff series upset to Indiana last spring. Still, the team then was without nine-time All-Star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the entire series, while nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard missed two games himself.

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The Knicks could be the more favorable matchup for Milwaukee, especially given how dependent they are on their top six players (their starters plus reserve center Mitchell Robinson), and the Bucks' defensive frontcourt advantages.

Now, it's been revealed (per Underdog NBA) that Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley — a major contender for Sixth Man of the Year honors, along with Cleveland Cavaliers wing Ty Jerome and Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard — has seen his health status downgraded to questionable ahead of the matchup.

Malik Beasley (illness) now listed questionable Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 11, 2025

Losing Beasley would be a significant blow to Detroit's chances in this game. The Pistons are already without starting shooting guard Jaden Ivey, who's been out since January 1 with a leg injury.

The Bucks, meanwhile, are missing backup center Jericho Sims, who continues to recover from a right thumb UCL sprain, and Lillard, who's out indefinitely with a right calf deep vein thrombosis.

Eric Nehm of The Athletic also reports that Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart will sit out with an inflamed right knee. All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham is probable to play through a left knee patellar tendinopathy.

The latest Pistons injury report:

Out: Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart (right knee inflammation)

Questionable: Malik Beasley (illness)

Probable: Cade Cunningham (left knee patellar tendinopathy) https://t.co/B5e1WZCVle
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 11, 2025

Losing Beasley, a 2023-24 Buck himself, would be a major blow for Detroit, and could be the difference between a win and loss.

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A Bucks victory would allow Milwaukee to lock up the No. 5 seed, as it would improve the Bucks' regular season record to 47-34, an uncatchable tally for the 44-36 Pistons.

Beasley, 28, is in the midst of a career season for Detroit. He's averaging a career-best 16.2 points on .428/.412/.679 shooting splits. The 3-point shooting percentage is phenomenal, as he's converting 41.2 percent of a high-volume 9.3 triple tries a night, in just 28.0 minutes off the bench. The 6-foot-4 journeyman is also chipping in 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals.

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