The Detroit Pistons lost their 26th straight game on Saturday evening, tied for the most in a season with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. Since the Pistons lost 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit is now in position to break the record on Tuesday when the two teams face off again.
Between the end of the 2014–15 season and the start of the 2015–16 season, the 76ers lost 28 consecutive games, which is the league's all-time record. The Pistons could reach that number on December 28th against the Boston Celtics and break it on December 30th against the Houston Rockets.
The 2-27th Pistons last won a game on October 28th, defeating the Chicago Bulls 118-102 in their third game of the season. The victory gave them a winning record on the season – improving to 2-1.
To get back above .500, the Pistons would need to win at least 40 of their remaining 53 games, a winning percentage of .757. That's a win percentage only exceeded by the Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves this season.
The NBA's longest losing streak in a season
| 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 else: win. Detroit beat the Brooklyn Nets 77:75 with 6:58 left in the third quarter. It felt as if the Pistons, who had lost 25 straight and were on the verge of the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, were spoiling their own misfortune. Instead, the Pistons do what they always do: lose.
At 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 did – turnovers, poor defense and giving up second-chance points. Detroit was only able to hold on because its terrible 3-point shooting team finally got a break from beyond the arc in the first 2.5 quarters.
Now the Pistons find themselves on the wrong side of history, alongside the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, each with 26 losses. Detroit can hold the record all alone with a loss on Tuesday against the Nets.
How can they change that?
Detroit needs to take action sooner rather than later, which owner Tom Gores believes will happen in the “near future.” The pistons are broken in their current condition. They rely too much on the youth. Their bank was terrible. The Pistons need to find a way to bring in some quality veterans who can help the team win and in turn show the young players what they're made of.
Required reading
(Photo: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)