After New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson hit a three over Detroit Pistons rising star Ausar Thompson with 4.6 seconds left to give the Knicks a 116–113 lead in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round series, the Pistons had one more chance to tie the game and send it to overtime.

The Pistons inbounded the ball, and Cade Cunningham hustled to the top of the key to get it back. He got doubled and passed it to sharpshooter Malik Beasley on the wing with two seconds to go. The ball went through Beasley's hands out of bounds, ending the Pistons' season.

After the loss, Beasley spoke with reporters about the ending, and made a bold declaration about his abilities.

"It's been us against the world, our team. For us to stay together, for us to build on it, I think obviously the pain hurts. [Ausar Thompson] was pissed [about the Brunson three]. He is the best defender in the world and he felt like he should have gotten a stop on the last possession. I'm the best shooter in the world and felt like I should [have gotten a shot off] on the last possession."

The 28-year-old Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game on 43.0% shooting from the floor and 41.6% shooting from three this season. He's a great shooter. But best in the world? Perhaps a bit bold.

Regardless, the Pistons went 14–68 last season and improved their record by 30 games this season while advancing to the playoffs in the process. It was a fantastic year for Detroit, and the Pistons should be able to build off of it heading into 2025 and beyond.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Malik Beasley Makes Bold Statement About His Abilities After Being Eliminated by Knicks.

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