Boston Celtics ship Detroit to NBA record-tying twenty eighth straight loss, beating Pistons in OT
BOSTON — The Pistons’ twenty eighth loss in a row was not like any of the various, many different defeats that got here earlier than it in what’s now tied for the longest shedding streak in NBA historical past.
The end result was the identical.
Detroit opened a 21-point lead in opposition to the league-best Boston Celtics on Thursday evening after which rallied from a six-point deficit within the ultimate minutes to power time beyond regulation earlier than the Celtics recovered to win 128-122. It was the primary time all season the Pistons led by greater than 20 factors, and the primary time they’d gotten to time beyond regulation within the two months since their final win.
“I’m unbelievably proud of the group, the way they bring it,” Pistons coach Monty Williams stated. “They’ve heard all the stuff about our team and they just keep bringing it. I know it’s going to pay off.”
Detroit fell to 2-29 and matched the “Trust the Process” Philadelphia 76ers with 28 consecutive losses; the Pistons want a victory at dwelling in opposition to Toronto on Saturday evening to keep away from breaking the NBA file for longest shedding streak.
In main North American sports activities, solely the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals, who misplaced 29 straight from 1942-45, have had an extended shedding streak.
“I’m not interested in just winning one more game this year — you know what I mean? To stop this. That would be soft, in my opinion,” stated Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, who scored 22 factors within the first half however missed a potential-winning 3-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation.
“Our goals are a lot higher than that. We have what it takes to win a game, that’s nothing. But to put games together, to find our system, find what’s clicking and allow us to sustain winning. That’s all we’re looking for.”
Boston erased a 66-45, second-quarter lead with a 19-5 run within the third that turned a 15-point deficit right into a 77-76 recreation. Kristaps Porzingis had eight of his season-high 35 factors in a 10-0 run that turned a four-point deficit right into a 106-100 Boston lead within the ultimate two minutes of regulation.
Jaden Ivey scored six straight factors for Detroit to tie it after which, after Jayson Tatum was credited with a layup on a replay-confirmed goaltending name, Bojan Bogdanovic made a putback on Cunningham’s missed 3 to ship it to OT.
But Derrick White scored 10 of his 23 factors within the further interval and Porzingis had six within the time beyond regulation – dunking after a full-court move from Tatum after which sinking a pair of free throws to make it 125-117.
“As bad as they hurt right now, I hurt for them,” Williams stated. “But I told them: `If we bring that kind of toughness and execution – minus the turnovers – we’re not just going to win one game. We’re going to put something together.”
Tatum had 31 factors and 10 assists for Boston, which gained its fourth straight and its ninth within the final 10 video games. The Celtics, who had been with out Jaylen Brown, are 15-0 at dwelling this season and have the league’s finest file, 24-6.
“We’re on the same level as all these teams were playing against,” stated Cunningham, who had 31 factors and 9 assists. “There’s no team that I’ve ever come across in the NBA where I felt like I was going into a slaughterhouse. I’ve never felt like that in my life, going into a basketball game.
“So every game we should be able to fight teams and impose our will on them. We did that early on. We kind of let go of the rope a little bit in the third quarter. But there’s a lot of growth, and something we can learn from and definitely take to the next game.”
Ivey had 22 factors and 10 rebounds, Jalen Duren had 15 factors and 14 rebounds and Bogdanovich had 17 factors and 12 boards.
The Pistons set the NBA file for many consecutive losses in a season Tuesday evening with their twenty seventh in a row, a 118-112 loss to Brooklyn. The Sixers’ streak stretched over two seasons, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host Toronto on Saturday evening earlier than a four-game journey.
