Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley made NBA history this season while placing himself among some of the league’s most elite players. The effort, however, wasn’t enough to secure hardware. Beasley finished second in voting for this season’s Sixth Man of the Year award, losing to Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. Pritchard earned 82 first-place votes, while Beasley received 13. Cleveland Cavaliers reserves Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter each garnered two first-place votes, and Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid received one. In 80 games this season, Pritchard averaged 14.3 points on 47.2% shooting from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range, while also contributing 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 28.4 minutes per game. Pritchard’s production was certainly worthy of the honor, but given Beasley’s contributions to the Pistons’ historic turnaround this season, there’s a case to be made that his impact was more compelling. Beasley played in all 82 games, averaging 16.3 points while shooting 43% from the field and 41.6% from beyond the arc in 27.6 minutes per contest. He also became the first primary reserve in NBA history to make 300 3-pointers in a season (319), and just the fourth player overall to do so—joining Stephen Curry, James Harden and Klay Thompson. Beasley was close to finishing the season with the most made 3-pointers until Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards — who also joined the elite 300 club — edged him out by hitting seven in Minnesota’s season finale, finishing with 320. Had Beasley won the honor, he would’ve been the first Pistons player in 23 years to earn the award. The last was Corliss Williamson in 2002. “Boooooooo,” Beasley posted shortly after the official announcement was made. The veteran guard scored at least 20 points off the bench in 17 games this season. His best overall performance, however, came on Feb. 2 in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, when he started for a shorthanded Pistons squad. In the 125–112 victory, Beasley scored 36 points and knocked down nine 3-pointers.