The Pistons established a new NBA record on Tuesday night, as the Nets defeated them 118-112. It was Detroit’s 27th loss in a row, the most consecutive losses by any team in a single season in league history.
Cade Cunningham scored 37 second-half points and 41 in all but it still wasn’t enough for the Pistons, who haven’t tasted victory since Oct. 28.
“It weighs on us every day,” he said during the postgame press conference relayed by Bally Sports Detroit (video link).
Coach Monty Williams said the burden of the losing streak has been tough to shoulder.
“It’s been heavy for a while,” he said (BSD video link).
The Pistons tied the record in a 126-115 loss at Brooklyn on Saturday. Their 27-game losing streak surpasses the futility of the 2010/11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013/14 Philadelphia 76ers, who each lost 26 straight.
Philadelphia dropped 28 straight across parts of two seasons, at the end of 2014/15 and the beginning of the ’15/16 campaign. The Pistons could tie that record when they visit Boston on Thursday.
The Pistons were outscored by 13 points in the second quarter on Tuesday.
“That’s something that’s plagued us all year long, just having that segment of the game or one quarter that kind of put us in the hole and we just haven’t been able to do enough to overcome,” said Williams, who was signed to a six-year contract by owner Tom Gores during the offseason to bring the franchise back to prominence.
Detroit actually had a five-point lead in the fourth but then gave up 13 unanswered points and couldn’t overcome the deficit.
“We need to continue to lean on each other, and continue to push each other and hold each other accountable more than ever now,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason, exerted his leadership after the game.
“He showed me even more in the locker room just now,” Williams said. “He talked passionately about the things we need to do and how everybody has to be in the boat and be accountable for where we are. You have to be real about where we are. Nobody wants something like this attached to them. The bottom line is it’s my job, it’s my responsibility. Coaches are graded on their record. That’s the bottom line.”
Gores promised “changes” last week but it remains to be seen what alterations will be made.
Whoever ultimately loses to Detroit this year will need to be put on self-destruction watch…
Yeah, as a Nets’ fan, I get it. No one wants to be that team and to face them in back to back games when you’ve been struggling makes you wonder if you’ll be the one. They will beat someone. Cade Cunningham is a tremendous talent. He will be able to put the team on his back at some point and almost did it tonight.
2-80 BABY!
It’d be crazy if Cade requests a trade after another few weeks of no change. I watched the game yesterday, they’re all deluded. Commentary, HT analysis all praise. Monty looked disinterested. Cade gave up on his players in 2nd half and just went for it himself only passing when he had no choice.
Even when they get a win, it won’t change the fact they’re the worst franchise in my memory. Feel sorry for the fans.
Away to Celtics next it isn’t getting any easier..can they just stay home
I would laugh *so hard* if they somehow beat the Celtics right now. It would be the height of irony.
Make a trade already. Trade Bojan, Bagley and Wiseman
While Alec Burks is laughing
Trade wiseman and hayes
For what? They have no trade value.
Go easy on Cade all the losing is clearly getting to him
To the Spurs for Devonte Graham or Blake Wesley and Doug McDermott with a 2nd? To the Knicks for Evan Fournier and Ryan A with a 2nd? Killian Hayes, Bagley and Bojan to Brooklyn for Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas? Bojan, Hayes and Wiseman with some 2nds to GS for Chris Paul and Santos? Wiseman to Memphis for Luke Kennard? They still have some trade value. People on this site need to stop saying people don’t have trade value just because they don’t like someone
And ivey
Is the record 27 or 28 straight?
27 is the single-season record (used to be 26 until this team), I *think* 28 is all time consecutive.
Oh I see, got it now. Thanks for the clarification
The sixers spanned 2 seasons with the 28
It’ll be even more hilarious when they don’t get the #1 pick in the lottery.
Going back to last season, the pistons have won only 5 of their last 59 games.
Going back to Christmas of 2022, the pistons have only won 11 games.
In the 2023 calendar year, the pistons only won 9 games total.
Since the start of the 2019 season, the pistons have only won 82 games. That’s good for a 24% win percentage.
They’ve only had one winning season since 2008.
As someone that follows the nba but not the pistons, I didn’t realize how terrible this franchise has been over the last 15 years. When I think of bad basketball, I think of the hornets, the kings prior to last year, the timberwolves prior to like 4 years ago, but the pistons have really been terrible for 15 years. The ownership is promising changes because of this record setting slump, but this is more than 27 games, this is who the pistons have been for a long time
Yeah, this. They had some sorta-promising teams with Tobias Harris, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson, but they topped out at the 8th seed, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs, and never getting above .500. Adding Blake Griffin didn’t help; despite his great year the first season in Detroit they barely scraped together 41 wins. They’re really poorly run. Can identify talent, but can’t actually *build* anything.
The Pistons need to look at the Rockets model. They kept the young players to build around and then overpaid for veteran leadership. This team needs on court leadership to help Monty out.
You’re absolutely right, they should sign or trade for some guys veteran leadership that have been on winning teams. Signing some Guts like Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris and Alex Bucks would be a good start.
To put this in perspective, the Diamondbacks last victory was more recent than the Pistons.
If I was coaching this team for $200 per game, I’d have been fired by now.
Clearly, they take losing seriously, paying millions for it!
The Pistons have end of the game fear. They are hoping for a miracle to happen instead making one happen.
The psychosis they have developed is really bad. There was a fair amount of come on baby praying the last 5 minutes of that game.
detroit, ick.
They need to rebuild starting by not playing 4-5 full seasons to lose on purpose, to build thru the Draft. They need to actually want to win every Game, the actual purpose of basketball. You can have all the young prospects and picks, but if You don’t aim to win, You Won’t win.
I would start trying to build some Bad Boy culture again (the 1989-90s or 2004- 2000s). Give Former Pistons Legends a place, talk to the players, establish a bridge, let the players learn from them.
Overrated coach ……
Well he’s at least a record setting coach…..