Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 11th triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Detroit Pistons 125-119 on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena.
The win secured the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference for Milwaukee, setting up a first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes, surpassing his previous career-high of 10 triple-doubles set last season.
The two-time MVP shot 11-for-22 from the field and 10-of-11 at the free throw line, leading a Bucks team that extended its win streak to seven games.
Bobby Portis added 17 points and 10 boards off the bench, while Kevin Porter Jr. chipped in 16 points and seven assists.
Milwaukee shot 45.7 percent from the floor and hit 17 three-pointers, including a crucial one from A.J. Green with 1:51 left to give the Bucks a 120-111 lead.
Brook Lopez contributed 15 points and seven rebounds, and Kyle Kuzma added 10 points in limited minutes.
The Bucks will now prepare for a rematch against Indiana, a team that eliminated them in the first round last year when Antetokounmpo missed the series with a calf injury.
Detroit, which entered the night already locked into the sixth seed, was led by Cade Cunningham’s 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting.
Cunningham also dished out 12 assists in 36 minutes, continuing his strong finish to the regular season.
The Pistons, who won just 14 games last year, have completed a 30-win turnaround and are back in the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Detroit will face the third-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round, aiming to end a playoff drought that dates back to 2008 without a single game win.
Malik Beasley had 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from deep for Detroit, while Tobias Harris scored 17 and Jalen Duren finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Dennis Schroder also contributed 12 points and eight assists off the bench, as the Pistons shot 49.5 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range.
Despite leading 36-35 after the first quarter, Detroit was outscored 60-51 over the next two periods and couldn’t close the gap in the final minutes.
Green’s clutch shot in the final two minutes helped the Bucks withstand Cunningham’s late flurry and preserve the win.
Milwaukee outrebounded Detroit 44-42 and forced 10 turnovers while committing only seven.
The Bucks improved to 47-34 with the victory, while the Pistons fell to 44-37 to close out their regular-season schedule.
With Damian Lillard and Jericho Sims sidelined, the Bucks relied on a deep rotation that saw 10 players log double-digit minutes.
Detroit was without Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart due to injury and held out Marcus Sasser and others via coach’s decision.
The Bucks and Pacers split the regular season series 2-2, adding intrigue to their upcoming playoff matchup.
Game 1 of the Bucks-Pacers series is expected to be played early next week in Indianapolis.
Meanwhile, the Pistons will head to Madison Square Garden to begin their best-of-seven against the Knicks, who have dropped three straight games.
