Pistons Guard Reveals Matchups vs Pacers Are 'Personal'

Ricardo Klein | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers' three-game winning streak was snapped on Friday when they were defeated by their division rivals, the Detriot Pistons, 130-106.

The Pacers were flat for most of the game. They have now dropped two games below .500 and are out of NBA Cup contention. The Pacers went 0-3 in the NBA Cup play and were eliminated from the knockout round. Friday's performance was less than ideal.

Indiana was behind by 10 points at halftime, and the Pistons pulled ahead by 22 early in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers didn't make enough 3-pointers to overcome their defensive lapses, which are typically more prevalent in road games. The Eastern Conference finalists from a year ago fell to 9-11 overall.

The Pacers struggled to bring the energy that the Pistons, especially their guard Malik Beasley, brought to the game. It was personal for Beasley on Friday, and he wasn't shy about revealing why to the media after the game.

After the Pistons defeated the Pacers, no one was more fired up than the veteran sharpshooter.

“It definitely felt special,” Beasley told reporters after the game.

“Playing against the Pacers is always kind of personal for me. My matchups against them last year, playing them 11 to 12 times. So, those guys don’t like me, and I don’t like them. It’s all love. I dap everybody up on that team. They are all great players, all great guys, but it’s competitive, and I’m glad we got the win.”

Malik Beasley on tonight’s win: “Playing against the Pacers is always kind of personal for me. … Those guys don’t like me and I don’t like them but it’s all love.” pic.twitter.com/JFlmJleXp4

— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) November 30, 2024

Beasley played in the same division last season with the Milwaukee Bucks and faced the Pacers five times.

Last year, he went 1-4 against the Pacers and was also eliminated by them in the first round of the playoffs. Beasley was tired of losing to the Pacers, and he and his team did their part and then some.

Beasley recorded 25 points, which was the second most of the season for him, along with one rebound, one assist, and two steals while shooting 71 percent from the field, including 5-for-9 from three.

Beasley was spectacular and did all he could to not lose to the Pacers again.

The Pacers now drop to 7-3 at home and continue to show their inconsistent ways. The Pacers took care of business at home, going 3-1, but they'll now head on the road for a four-game road trip starting on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

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