Pistons losing streak: Detroit breaks NBA single-season record with historic 27th loss in a row

Cade Cunningham's efforts weren't enough to get the Pistons a win against the Nets

The Detroit Pistons have broken the record for most consecutive losses in a single season. They tied the record with a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday and suffered their 27th straight defeat to the same squad, 118-112, on Tuesday. Only the Philadelphia 76ers, who dropped 28 games in a row between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns have endured a worse losing streak.

Detroit started the night strong at Little Caesars Arena and won the first quarter 31-25. However, the Nets outscored the home team by 13 in the second frame to erase that lead. Cade Cunningham's dynamic scoring helped the Pistons remain competitive in the third quarter. He poured in 18 points in the period to keep the score close, but Brooklyn had enough in the tank to edge Detroit out.

Cunningham finished with 41 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in with 23 points of his own while Jalen Duren notched a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Ultimately, however, it was not enough to keep Detroit from making the type of history that no one in their locker room had hoped for.

The Pistons have long been aware of how close they were to breaking the record, and head coach Monty Williams believes that the magnitude of Tuesday's game was a distraction for them.

"I'm sure it was," Williams told reporters. "When you look at records, you think of coaches. I'm sure players don't want that attached to the name on the jersey. It's been heavy for a while. That's the nature of this kind of losing streak."  

Things aren't looking up for Detroit right now but Cunningham was vocal about the team's need to continue working toward improvement during his postgame media availability on Tuesday.

"Don't jump off the boat. We gotta stay together," Cunningham said when asked for his message to his teammates. "Right now is the easiest time to stand off and be on your own, but we need to continue to lean on each other and continue to push each other and hold each other accountable more than ever now."  

On Thursday, Detroit's next chance to end the streak will come against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Pistons will wrap up 2023 with a home matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 30. Two more consecutive losses will see them take sole ownership of the longest losing streak in NBA history.