Detroit’s skid hits 27 for single-season mark

27 Dec 2023 - The Washington Post

FROM NEWS SERVICES AND STAFF REPORTS

— Associated Press

NETS 118, PISTONS 112

The Detroit Pistons are the new owners of one of the NBA’S least coveted records.

With a 118-112 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, the Pistons suffered their 27th consecutive defeat, setting the record for the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. The 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers, who had lost Lebron James to the Miami Heat the previous summer, and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, who were just beginning their “Process” rebuilding effort, previously shared the record with 26 straight losses.

Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone since Detroit’s most recent win, which came Oct. 28 against the Chicago Bulls. Despite a 2-1 start, the Pistons went winless in November, snapped their franchise record of 21 straight losses across the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons earlier this month and now hold the NBA’S worst record at 2-28. The previous team with a worse record through 30 games was the 2015-16 76ers, who started 1-29 (and reached 1-30) before finishing 10-72.

If the Pistons lose their next two games — at the Boston Celtics on Thursday and vs. the Toronto Raptors on Saturday — they would claim the NBA’S longest losing streak of all time.

The 76ers lost 28 straight games across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

“You have to be real about where we are,” said Pistons Coach Monty Williams, who is in his first season with Detroit. “Nobody wants something like this attached to them. The bottom line is that it’s my job and my responsibility. . . . Coaches are graded on their records. That’s the bottom line. . . . I’m sure the players don’t want that attached to the name on the jersey. Was it [weighing] heavy [on us]? It’s been heavy for a while. That’s just the nature of this type of losing streak. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to change it. . . .

“I was brought in here to change this thing. It’s probably the most on me than anybody. The players are playing their hearts out. I’ve got to get them in a position where they don’t feel tight or heavy.”

Detroit fought hard to snap its streak against the Nets (15-15), taking a 20-7 lead in the first quarter in front of a hopeful crowd at Little Caesars Arena. But the Nets countered to take a 61-54 lead at halftime and held off a Pistons rally in the fourth quarter.

Detroit guard Cade Cunningham scored 37 of his game-high 41 points in the second half and center Jalen Duren posted 12 points and 15 rebounds in his first game back after missing eight with an ankle injury, but it wasn’t enough to avoid infamy. Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, scored the Pistons’ final 12 points in a desperate flurry, but the Nets’ Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-smith hit dagger three-pointers to seal the victory.

Detroit is on pace to finish 5-77, which would set NBA records for the fewest wins and the lowest winning percentage (.061). — Ben Golliver

•GRIZZLIES 116, PELICANS 115 (OT): 

Ja Morant scored 31 points as visiting Memphis defeated New Orleans to improve to 4-0 since Morant made his season debut in New Orleans a week earlier.

Desmond Bane scored 27, including a three-pointer in the final minute of regulation that helped Memphis erase a 15-point, second-half deficit.

•BULLS 118, HAWKS 113: 

Andre Drummond had season highs of 24 points and 25 rebounds in his first start of the season, Demar Derozan scored 25 points, and host Chicago cooled off Atlanta’s Trae Young.

Young finished with 21 points and 13 assists after tying Oscar Robertson’s record of seven consecutive games with at least 30 points and 10 assists.

•THUNDER 129, TIMBERWOLVES 106: 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Jalen Williams added 21 and Oklahoma City made 18 shots from threepoint range against visiting Minnesota.

Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort each added 20 points for the Thunder, which went 18 for 39 on threes.

•PACERS 123, ROCKETS 117: 

Tyrese Haliburton had 33 points and 10 assists and hit a go-ahead three-pointer with a minute left to lead Indiana to the victory in Houston. JAZZ 130, SPURS 118: Lauri l

Markkanen had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Utah overcame a slow start in San Antonio.