Pistons' Malik Beasley mocks Kings' 'Light the Beam' celebration after comeback win
12/27/2024 03:05 PM
By late-December, Detroit Pistons fans are usually engrossed in mock drafts, mercifully waiting to see what next year might have in store for them. When they woke up on Friday morning, however, they saw their squad only three games below .500 and in the ninth slot of the Eastern Conference standings.
Celebrating such sub-par status speaks to the level of despondency the organization has created in the last decade-plus, but this team’s development should undoubtedly be cherished. Detroit (14-17) is now riding a three-game winning streak after defeating the Sacramento Kings (13-18) in exhilarating fashion on Thursday night. Jaden Ivey converted an improbable four-point play with just over three seconds remaining on the clock, lifting the Pistons to a 114-113 road victory. He was not the team’s only hero, though.
Free agent acquisition Malik Beasley exploded from long range, sinking three pivotal 3-pointers in clutch time. Thanks to the veteran guard’s shooting flurry, the team roared back from being down 10 points with less than three minutes left in the game. He was feeling pretty amped-up afterwards and decided to do some gloating on the Kings’ floor.
“Light the Beam,” Beasley chanted after scoring 22 points (six treys), via ClutchPoints, as people cleared out of the Golden 1 Center. “Light the Beam.”
Sacramento’s rallying cry and postgame celebration served as an emblem of the franchise’s dramatic turnaround in 2022. Now, in a year when Detroit is desperately striving for a breakthrough of its own, the phrase is being used to mock the free-falling Kings. De’Aaron Fox’s brutal foul on Ivey further muddies the team’s future. Conversely, the Pistons are heading in a hopeful direction after pulling out another hard-fought win away from Little Caesars Arena.
Malik Beasley really mocked the "Beam" after escaping with a 1-point victory
(via @DetroitPistons)pic.twitter.com/onTXH5Bu0b
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 27, 2024
Malik Beasley and the Pistons are making their presence known
The poise and tenacity this young group is typifying through more than two months of the season is a possible indicator that considerable growth is taking shape in the Motor City. Beasley’s arrival and subsequent rebirth is playing a major role in Detroit’s surge.
The 2016 first-round draft pick leads the NBA with 122 made 3-pointers and is knocking them down at a sweltering 42.1 percent clip. He is the offensive sparkplug head coach J.B. Bickerstaff needs to lift up the Pistons’ core. Beasley is averaging 16.7 points in 28.5 minutes per contest, making him an early contender for Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Aside from his elite 3-point shooting, the 28-year-old out of Florida State also appears to be injecting enthusiasm into the locker room. Although it is rash for him or any other member of Detroit to troll another team or fan base, his passion is palpable. Beasley and the Pistons are giving each other new life this season, much to the delight of a city that has long been bogged down by bad basketball.
With the team already matching its win total from last season, change might finally be here. Now, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Malik Beasley and the rest of gritty Detroit must stay the course.
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