Malik Beasley’s Honest Statement on Pistons’ Loss vs Warriors

Malik Beasley sees a lesson in the Pistons' loss against Golden State.

Mar 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) defends Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) in the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Saturday night’s battle between the Golden State Warriors and the Detroit Pistons was a postseason mock matchup in the eyes of the veteran of Malik Beasley.

While the Warriors and the Pistons would only meet in an NBA Finals setting beyond the regular season, the Pistons have to enter each game against a playoff-tested opponent with the mindset of expecting a postseason feel.

For the Pistons, Saturday was a loss, but one that came with a lesson.

"We gotta do a better job of keeping our composure,” Beasley told reporters on Saturday. “They made a run in the fourth quarter, but we put our heads down when that happened, and we gotta keep going. Tonight was a playoff game and a great learning experience."

Beasley: "We gotta do a better job of keeping our composure. They made a run in the fourth quarter but we put our heads down when that happened, and we gotta keep going. Tonight was a playoff game and a great learning experience."

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) March 9, 2025

The Pistons held the lead at halftime on Saturday night. Although the lead changed over seven times throughout the first half, along with nine ties, A 54-51 lead through the first two quarters was a good spot for the Pistons to be in, considering they trailed by nine points right out of the gate.

In the third quarter, both teams scored 33 points on 50-plus percent shooting from the field. The Pistons had the lead going into the fourth quarter, where the battle-tested Warriors found an edge.

The Pistons held their own for the most part, but costly mistakes down the stretch gave the Warriors a chance to get out in front and take control of the game late.

Detroit turned the ball over six times down the stretch. While they shot slightly better from the field, the Pistons made just one of their four threes against a high-volume three-point shooting squad like the Warriors. In the end, the Warriors outscored the Pistons 31-23 during the final quarter.

Golden State defeated Detroit 115-110 in the Bay. With that loss, the Pistons drop to 35-29 on the year. They won’t change places in the Eastern Conference standings, but they certainly have a lot to learn after dropping a critical matchup on the road against a red-hot Golden State team.

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