Ausar Thompson News: Efficient in season-ending loss

Thompson finished Thursday's 116-113 loss to the Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with 17 points (5-7 FG, 7-10 FT), six rebounds, one assist, two blocks and three steals over 23 minutes.

Despite ultimately losing in six games, Thompson came alive late in Detroit's first-round playoff matchup with New York, averaging 19.5 points on 76.5 percent shooting from the field across the final two contests. After missing the end of the 2023-24 season and the first 18 games of the 2024-25 campaign due to a blood clotting issue, Thompson was able to play in 59 of the Pistons' final 64 regular-season outings. Over those 59 regular-season appearances, the 22-year-old forward averaged 10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals in 22.5 minutes, establishing himself as one of the best young defenders in the NBA. Still, Thompson will likely look to improve upon his outside shooting, as he shot just 22.4 percent from three and 64.1 percent from the free-throw line this season.