After going two months without a victory, the Pistons snapped their 28-game losing streak tonight with a 129-127 win over the Raptors.
Detroit still has the league’s worst record at 3-29, but the franchise won’t have to hold the record for the NBA’s longest-ever losing skid by itself. The 28-game slide matches what the Sixers did over the 2014/15 and ’15/16 seasons.
“I think people may have thought they were OK with losing, but they came in every day with a great spirit wanting to win,” coach Monty Williams told reporters. “… We always had our joy because knew that if we put it together we could win just not one game, but put a few together.” (Twitter link from Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press)
Cade Cunningham continued his recent hot streak, posting 30 points, three rebounds and 12 assists. He’s averaging 34.0 PPG in the Pistons’ last three games. Detroit also benefited from balanced scoring — with all five starters reaching double figures and Alec Burks adding 16 points off the bench — in notching its first victory since October 28.
“It’s been weighing on us heavy everywhere we go, which is two months,” Cunningham said of the losing streak (Twitter link). “Which is unreal for it to be that long … we’re not trying to go back. Now it really begins where we see what we can really be.”
Owner Tom Gores, who promised last week to make changes in response to the streak, issued a statement after the game acknowledging that everyone has been dealing with difficult circumstances, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
“I’m proud of how our guys have continued to fight through adversity,” he said. “I know it’s been hard, but they’ve kept their heads up and showed real character. The streak is over, but the hard work continues.”
The game vs. Toronto appeared to be a prime opportunity for the Pistons to end the streak against because the Raptors were on the second night of a back-to-back and were playing shorthanded after trading OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to New York earlier in the day. Detroit led by 11 points with 5:50 left to play, but had to hold off a late Toronto comeback before claiming the victory.
“It was a very emotional day … but I don’t want to take anything away from Detroit,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter link from Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca). “They played a good game and deserved the win.”
They have the Knicks to thank for this one.
Detroit hasn’t been this happy since the General Motors bailout in ‘08
Thanks, Frank.
I’ll put you through that wall
Keep trying.
Darn, I was hoping for the record. I mean, Detroit already has a “rich” history of futility, including the Lions being the only 0-16 team in NFL history, and the Tigers getting within a loss of joining the 1962 expansion Mets as the only 120 loss teams in modern baseball history (1900 and more recent seasons).
Cleveland Browns also went 0-16.
And Tampa Bay lost the first 26 games in franchise history, albeit they were playing 14 game seasons so they “only” went 0-14.
Root for Philly if you want losing steaks lol
Detroit has the 6th most championships across all american sports
Look no further than San Diego as the most futile professional sports region in the US.
The Rockets,Clippers and Chargers all left.
The Padres have only won one WS game in nearly 60 years of existence.
Now fans are begging ownership not to got through its 3rd major firseale.
And no one sympathizes because the whole ‘ you have the weather’ thing.
Being an SD sports fan isn’t fun.
If I was a raptors player I wouldn’t be happy with the timing of that trade today.
Raptors fans too lol I certainly didn’t want my team to be the one to break the streak.
The Raptors played the last minute of that game harder than some Finals games recently, felt more like an NCAA Tourney game than regular season NBA
Kudos. Time to start a new one.
They cut down the nets?
Had they beaten the Celtics the other night, Boston fans would have demanded Mazzulla’s head.
You know it’s bad when I treat one way and like a championship. I hate the franchise as well as the city it’s just not a sports environment. The next losing streak will be 29 with them weeping again bunch of losers.
Who mugged you in Detroit?
Put up a mid season banner