DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have made NBA history.
They became the league’s first team to lose 27 straight games in a season, falling 118-112 to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
The Nets beat the Pistons on Saturday in Brooklyn, handing them their 26th consecutive defeat to match the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for the most losses in a row within one season.
The Pistons no longer share the unwanted mark.
Next up is the overall record of 28 straight losses, set by the 76ers from late in the 2014-15 season through early 2015-16.
At least matching the record seems likely with a road game Thursday night against the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.
The game against the Nets, like the season, started with some hope.
The Pistons led 9-1 and had a 14-point lead in the first quarter before poor shooting and defense coupled with turnovers paved the way for the Nets to extend the Motor City’s misery.
The Nets outscored the Pistons by 13 in the second quarter to lead 61-54 at halftime.
Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his 41 points in the third quarter and made a 3-pointer early in the fourth to give the Pistons a 97-92 lead.
Just as fans who nearly filled Little Caesars Arena started cheering with passion heard at a playoff game, the Nets went on a 13-0 run to take the lead for good.
Cunningham did his part to give the team a shot to finally win, but he didn’t have much help and even he had a turnover.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points before fouling out and after leaving Cam Johnson wide open for a 3-pointer that gave the Nets a six-point lead with 1:40 to go. Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 pick last year, missed 9 of 12 shots as the Nets backed off him and welcomed the guard to shoot.
In the final minute, fed-up fans started to chant, “Sell the team! Sell the team!” though Pistons owner Tom Gores was not in the building to hear it.
Originally Published: Dec 26, 2023 at 1:11 pm
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