After a prolonged stretch of disheartening defeats, the Detroit Pistons brought an end to their series of losses on Saturday night, narrowly avoiding the possibility of establishing a new NBA record for the longest losing streak in history.
Facing off against the Toronto Raptors in a home game at Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons secured a 129-127 victory. This triumph prevented the Detroit team from surpassing the previous 28-game losing streak set by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. The Pistons had equaled the 76ers’ record just two days prior.
During a press conference following the Saturday game, Pistons coach Monty Williams expressed his amazement at witnessing such jubilation from the team.
“It wasn’t relief, it was just like, ‘thank God, finally.’ And guys were screaming. I was almost in tears. And I’m just so happy for our guys, happy for everybody in the locker room,” Williams remarked.
He also commended the players for their unwavering determination to improve despite the string of losses.
“I think people may have thought they were OK with losing, but they came in every day with a great spirit and they wanted answers and they came in wanting to learn,” he added.
Had the Pistons suffered another defeat, they would have been on par with the Chicago Cardinals, the team currently holding the longest losing streak in all four major North American professional sports leagues, with 29 consecutive losses over four seasons from 1942 to 1945.
The victory against the Raptors marks only the third win for the Detroit team in the 2023-24 season. The Pistons, known as one of the youngest teams in the NBA with a majority of players under 25, faced historic challenges after falling to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, becoming the first team in the NBA to endure 27 consecutive losses in a single season. Subsequently, on Thursday, they lost to the Boston Celtics in a closely contested game, reaching their 28th loss.
Facing off against the Toronto Raptors in a home game at Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons secured a 129-127 victory. This triumph prevented the Detroit team from surpassing the previous 28-game losing streak set by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. The Pistons had equaled the 76ers’ record just two days prior.
During a press conference following the Saturday game, Pistons coach Monty Williams expressed his amazement at witnessing such jubilation from the team.
“It wasn’t relief, it was just like, ‘thank God, finally.’ And guys were screaming. I was almost in tears. And I’m just so happy for our guys, happy for everybody in the locker room,” Williams remarked.
He also commended the players for their unwavering determination to improve despite the string of losses.
“I think people may have thought they were OK with losing, but they came in every day with a great spirit and they wanted answers and they came in wanting to learn,” he added.
Had the Pistons suffered another defeat, they would have been on par with the Chicago Cardinals, the team currently holding the longest losing streak in all four major North American professional sports leagues, with 29 consecutive losses over four seasons from 1942 to 1945.
The victory against the Raptors marks only the third win for the Detroit team in the 2023-24 season. The Pistons, known as one of the youngest teams in the NBA with a majority of players under 25, faced historic challenges after falling to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, becoming the first team in the NBA to endure 27 consecutive losses in a single season. Subsequently, on Thursday, they lost to the Boston Celtics in a closely contested game, reaching their 28th loss.
