Detroit Pistons suffer 26th consecutive loss, breaking historic losing streak
The Detroit Pistons tied the NBA record for the longest losing streak in a single season with 26 straight losses.
The Pistons (2-27) have a chance to record the NBA's longest losing streak of the season when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The Nets (14-15) defeated the Pistons 126-115 in Brooklyn on Saturday, denying them a chance to bow out of the tournament. The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, with the Pistons looking to avenge their loss.
The Pistons hired Monty Williams this offseason and made him one of the wealthiest coaches in professional sports. Williams signed a six-year, $78.5 million contract and will make about $13 million this season.
Williams is a former first-round pick of the New York Knicks who played 10 seasons in the NBA before becoming a coach. He gained a reputation as a "players' coach" and had a rapport with young players, which is why the Pistons made him the highest-paid coach in the NBA.
In his final three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Williams compiled a .675 winning percentage and was named the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year. In 29 games with the Pistons, Williams had a winning percentage of .069.
Pistons join 76ers and Cavaliers
The Pistons tied the Philadelphia 76ers (2013-14 season) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-11 season) for the longest winning streak in NBA history. This horrific series needs to be put into perspective, so let's take a quick look at the other teams that lost.
LeBron James left Cleveland after the 2009-10 season to join the Miami Heat as a free agent. James was the best player in the NBA at the time and was becoming a scorer in the NBA. The Cavaliers must play 26 games without James.
A decade ago, when the Sixers lost 26 straight games, they were in the beginning stages of their controversial "process" play. They deliberately put together a bad team just to get themselves into trouble and hope to lose as many games as possible to increase their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. They ultimately selected center Joel Embiid with the No. 1 pick and won last season's MVP title.
The 76ers also maintain the longest losing streak in NBA history, with 28 consecutive losses in two seasons. Their historic decline began at the end of the 2014-15 season and continued into the beginning of the 2015-16 season. The Pistons' 28-game losing record is looming.
The Pistons are currently in the fourth season of their rebuild, making the losing streak problematic for players, coaching staff, management and fans.
Resilient Pistons Still Fighting
The Pistons are off to a 2-1 start to the season but haven't won a game since late October. They were winless in November (0-15) and winless in December (0-10).
When you lose, everyone gets frustrated,"Williams said."When you lose so many games in a row, it blows my mind how they come back the next day. "Not many teams have that kind of resilience. Our guys don't want to be a part of any losing streak or losing streak or whatever. They come back every day with focus and drive and grit to try and win games."
Die-hard fans continue to support the Pistons and attend games in person. But during the final home game, the atmosphere turned sour. Frustrated fans roared directly at team owner Tom Gores during a 119-111 loss to the Utah Jazz. "Sell the team! Sell the team!" Such voices echoed on the field. The singing was so loud that it could be heard on the television broadcast.
“We still have an unbelievable city behind us, and I know some of them are angry at me,” Gores told The Athletic. "I don't blame them. This is a great city with passionate, caring fans. We're connected to the community. But we just couldn't win."
Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, leads the Pitons with 22.4 points, 7.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. Cunningham is trying to stay optimistic during the crisis.
"We have to keep fighting," Cunningham said. "Everyone hates losing."
Will the Pistons continue to decline?
The Pistons are 1-13 at home this season and will host the Nets on Tuesday night. The Nets currently rank ninth in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Pistons are a home underdog at +6.5, and the point differential suggests their losing streak will continue. Six of the last nine losses have been decided by ten points or more.
Since the losing streak, the Pistons have been favorites in three games and have been listed as underdogs in 23 games.
The Nets have a record of 18 wins, 10 losses and 1 tie this season. The Pistons are the second-worst betting team in the NBA this season at 9-19-1 ATS. The Pistons are 1-9 in their last 10 games.
If you started with $100, bet on every opponent's money line in Detroit and flipped it over, you would now have made over $343,000 during the streak," Ben Fawkes tweeted . Oddsmakers don't have much confidence in the Pistons entering the 2023-24 season, projecting their win total at 27.5 over/under, which is the second-lowest among DraftKings NBA preseason bets.
The Pistons have been looking for their third win of the season for more than two months. They now project a winning total of 9.5 strokes/under.
The 76ers are considered the worst team in NBA history. In the 1972-73 season, the team lost 73 games and won only 9 games.
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Source: www.casino.org
