CHICAGO — Malik Beasley delivered an impressive performance, sinking seven 3-pointers and scoring a total of 24 points. The Detroit Pistons established a franchise record with a staggering 42-point lead at halftime, leading to a dominant 132-92 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.
During the first half, Detroit outscored the Bulls 71-29, breaking the previous record of a 34-point lead gained against Chicago back on March 23, 1969. Beasley’s shooting prowess led him to set a new record for the most 3-pointers in a single season with 212, eclipsing Saddiq Bey’s previous mark of 211 set in the 2021-22 season after hitting 7 of 10 attempts.
Cade Cunningham contributed significantly with 20 points, along with seven assists and six rebounds, helping the Pistons to achieve their most significant victory margin of the season. Additional support came from Tobias Harris, who scored 18 points, while Ausar Thompson added 16 points as Detroit clinched their third consecutive win.
The Bulls, however, faced a rough night, setting a new franchise record by missing their first 20 3-point attempts before Ayo Dosunmu finally connected near the end of the second quarter. Overall, Chicago struggled from beyond the arc, finishing with a dismal 10 of 47 shooting for 21.3% and managing only 35% for the game.
The situation became almost humorous for Chicago, with Nikola Vucevic mockingly celebrating after landing a hook shot that reduced the deficit to 43 points late in the first half, a moment that surprisingly drew cheers from the crowd.
On the scoring front, the Bulls saw limited contributions, with only two players, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, reaching double figures with 12 and 11 points respectively. Coby White had a particularly tough outing, recording a season-low of five points, shooting just 2 for 13 and missing all eight attempts from 3-point range.
In summary, the Pistons currently sit in sixth place within the Eastern Conference, aiming to steer clear of the play-in tournament—a goal that this kind of performance certainly supports. In contrast, the Bulls had previously set a record for missed 3-pointers to start a game at 17, which occurred on two different occasions, most recently on February 2, 2020.
The Pistons took the initiative right from the start, maintaining their control throughout the game. They managed an impressive shooting percentage, finishing at 53.1% overall and hitting 18 of their 41 attempts from three-point territory.
Both teams are set to face each other again in Chicago on Wednesday, promising another intriguing matchup on the horizon.
