Pistons match NBA single-season report with twenty sixth straight loss, fall 126-115 to the Nets
NEW YORK — Pistons gamers sat in surprised silence, staring blankly forward of their locker room after one more loss.
The worst stretch of basketball of their lives now ranks as one of many worst in NBA historical past.
Detroit matched the league report for the longest shedding streak in a single season, falling 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night time for its twenty sixth straight loss.
“None of us went through this, ever,” middle Isaiah Stewart mentioned. “This is the hardest thing probably all of us went through, especially being in the pros.”
The Pistons joined the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, dropping to 2-27 of their first season below Monty Williams. They have been within the sport within the second half earlier than the Nets put them away with a 15-0 run to open a 21-point lead and make sure that Detroit would stay winless since Oct. 28.
The groups will meet once more Tuesday night time in Detroit, with the Pistons nearing the general longest skid in league historical past. The 76ers misplaced 28 consecutive video games from late within the 2014-15 season by way of early 2015-16.
“Everybody wants to win, everybody hates losing, so it’s hard,” guard Cade Cunningham mentioned. “We’ve got to be realistic as well. Can’t just keep saying the same things over and over, like we’ll get the next one. There has to be like a plan of action, so we’re just trying to figure that out.”
Mikal Bridges had 29 factors, seven assists and 6 rebounds for the Nets, who put seven gamers in double figures and snapped their five-game shedding streak. Cam Thomas scored 20 factors.
The Nets shot 52% from the sector, exhibiting loads of vitality of their second night time of back-to-back video games after shedding to the NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Friday. They received some straightforward baskets due to the Pistons, whose 14 turnovers led to 22 factors.
Williams mentioned he didn’t really feel like their dangerous play was resulting in dangerous luck for the Pistons.
“We had a lot of tough breaks this year, but I try not to look at life that way. It just happens,” he mentioned. “When you turn it over 14 times you don’t expect 22 points, but it happens. Those live turnovers, they’re basketball death for possessions and we’ve had a lot of those this year.”
The Pistons have been inside two halfway by way of the third quarter earlier than a fast seven straight factors by the Nets pushed the lead again to 9. It was nonetheless simply 88-82 with below three minutes remaining, however Royce O’Neale made a 3-pointer and Day’Ron Sharpe adopted with consecutive baskets to set off a 10-0 end to the interval that made it 98-82.
Thomas scored the primary 5 of the fourth quarter to make it 103-82, giving the Nets their largest lead.
Jaden Ivey scored 23 factors for the Pistons, who began 2-1 of their first season below Williams earlier than their free fall towards infamy. Cunningham completed with 22 factors after being restricted to only 11 minutes within the first half after choosing up three fouls.
Williams, the NBA Coach of the Year in Phoenix in 2021-22, mentioned he was the one in charge earlier than the sport. But the larger downside is perhaps a roster whose common age is just below 25 years outdated, making the Pistons one of many youngest groups within the league.
They foul an excessive amount of (most within the league with 22.8 per sport) and switch it over too usually (twenty ninth, with 16.6 per sport) and simply haven’t been in a position to overcome the mixture of errors.
Nets ahead Cam Johnson, who together with Bridges performed for Williams in Phoenix, believes his former coach can construct a contender along with his new crew.
“I told them, some of the young guys on the team after the game, that sometimes you got to lose before you can win, sometimes you got to fall before you crawl, walk before you can run,” Johnson mentioned.
Detroit began with a pair good possessions in leaping to a 6-0 lead however then received careless, turning it over six occasions within the first quarter. The Nets cashed these in for 11 factors, which was the margin when the quarter ended with Brooklyn forward 32-21.
The Pistons performed higher within the second quarter however may solely minimize two factors off the deficit, trailing 65-56 on the break.
