The Detroit Pistons have not had a whole lot to celebrate during a dismal 2023/24 season. The Pistons, still mired in a lengthy rebuild, have been in the NBA‘s basement for virtually the entire season, but the team and its fans can look back on Wednesday night fondly when the campaign comes to a close this month.
Reserve point guard Malachi Flynn became the 11th player this season to score at least 50 points in a game when Detroit visited the Atlanta Hawks for an otherwise non-descipt Wednesday night game late in the season. For the former first-round pick, it is the culmination to one portion of his career — and the start of another exciting chapter that could be rife with opportunity.
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Flynn’s path to the Pistons
Born in Tacoma, Washington, Flynn was named state high school player of the year as a senior at Bellarmine Prep in his hometown. Flynn committed to Washington State and played two years for the Cougars before transferring to San Diego State for his final two seasons of NCAA basketball — where he was named Mountain West Player of the Year as a senior, in 2019/20.
The Toronto Raptors selected Flynn 29th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and the 6’1” point guard started 14 games as a rookie. Over parts of four seasons with the Raptors, Flynn played 181 games — including six in the playoffs — and was most often seen coming off the bench before he was dealt to the New York Knicks in the O.G. Anunoby blockbuster on Dec. 30.
Flynn’s tenure in the Big Apple did not last long. Five weeks after arriving in New York, the 25-year-old was on the move again, dealt to Detroit in a six-player trade. Entering Wednesday night, Flynn was averaging 5.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting across 17 appearances for the Pistons.
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Flynn’s modest scoring average will skyrocket following his 50-point night at State Farm Arena. In his familiar role off the bench, Flynn made up for starter Jaden Ivey‘s poor night (eight points on 3-15 shooting) with a career-best game to keep the Pistons competitive against a Hawks team fighting for playoff positioning.
Flynn made 18 of his 25 shot attempts — including five of nine three-pointers — and he added a team-high five assists, to boot. With star guard Cade Cunningham out due to a knee injury, Flynn was up to the task of keeping Detroit afloat.
Flynn’s defense was impressive, too. He notched six rebounds and five steals as the Pistons attempted to fight back from a 22-point deficit on a night in which coach Monty Williams played only nine players.
Flynn’s 50-point game is about as unlikely as they come. Per ESPN, no player in NBA history has ever posted 50-plus points in a game with as low a scoring average as Flynn had entering the game in Atlanta.
Unfortunately for the Pistons, Flynn’s best effort just wasn’t enough. Atlanta won, 121-113, to clinch a spot in the Play-In Tournament, while Detroit fell to 13-63 — guaranteeing a second consecutive campaign with fewer than 20 wins.
