Pistons match NBA single-season losing streak record with 26th straight defeat – The Athletic
The Detroit Pistons lost their 26th straight game Saturday night, matching the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for longest single-season stretches. With the Pistons falling 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit is now positioned to break the record Tuesday when the two teams face each other again.
Between the end of the 2014-15 season and the start of the 2015-16 season, the 76ers lost 28 straight games, which is the league’s all-time mark. The Pistons could match that number on Dec. 28 against the Boston Celtics and break it Dec. 30 against the Houston Rockets.
The 2-27 Pistons last won a game on Oct. 28, topping the Chicago Bulls 118-102 in the third game of the season. The victory gave them a winning record on the season — improving to 2-1.
In order to get back above .500, the Pistons would need to win at least 40 of their remaining 53 games, a .757 winning percentage. That’s a win rate topped only by the Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves this season.
NBA single-season longest losing streaks
| Team | Season | Losses |
|---|---|---|
|
Detroit Pistons |
2023-24 |
26 |
|
Philadelphia 76ers |
2013-14 |
26 |
|
Cleveland Cavaliers |
2010-11 |
26 |
|
Charlotte Bobcats |
2011-12 |
23 |
|
Denver Nuggets |
1997-98 |
23 |
|
Memphis Grizzlies |
1995-96 |
23 |
How the Pistons got here
The Pistons had a chance to do something different: win. Detroit had clawed back to trail the Brooklyn Nets, 77-75, with 6:58 left in the third quarter. It felt like the Pistons, losers of 25 straight and on the cusp of tying the longest single-season losing skid in NBA history, were going to play spoilers to their own misfortune. Instead, the Pistons do what they always do: lose.
By the end of the third quarter, Brooklyn led 98-82. The fourth quarter was, essentially, just a waiting game.
The Pistons lost the same way they always do — turnovers, bad defense and surrendering second-chance points. Detroit was only able to hang around because the terrible 3-point shooting team finally had a stroke of luck from beyond the arc through the first 2.5 quarters.
Now, the Pistons join the wrong side of history, alongside the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers with 26 connective losses. Detroit can hold the record all on its own with a loss on Tuesday to the Nets.
How can they turn it around?
Detroit needs to make moves sooner rather than later, which is what owner Tom Gores said he expects in the “near future.” The Pistons, as they are right now, are broken. They’re relying too much on youth. Their bench has been disastrous. The Pistons need to find a way to add some quality veterans who can help the team win and, in turn, show the young players what it takes.
Required reading
(Photo: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)
