By Thomas Schlachter, CNN
(CNN) — The Detroit Pistons are now on the brink of history – albeit for all the wrong reasons.
After falling to an injury-plagued Utah Jazz squad in a 119-111 defeat, the Pistons have now lost an incredible 25 games on the bounce – one shy of the NBA record.
Detroit faces the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday and all those involved with the franchise will be hoping the Pistons can avoid equaling the record NBA single-season losing streak which stands at 26 games.
Coming into the contest, Pistons fans would have been thinking that this game was the one to end the unwanted streak. The Jazz were without key players for the trip to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, including the NBA’s 2023 Most Improved Player Lauri Markkanen and 2021 Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson.
However, the game turned out to be more of the same for the struggling Pistons with the Jazz going into the halftime break with a 64-58 lead.
The interval seemed to be just what was needed for Detroit and it came back into the game with a strong third quarter, leaving just a two-point deficit to overcome heading into the fourth.
Yet the Jazz resiliently held on to the lead to take the 119-111 win – condemning the Pistons to a 2-26 record for the season.
“To be on the wrong side of history, nobody wants to be there,” a dejected Cade Cunningham told reporters postgame. “That is definitely an extra edge that we have to have.
“We should have won this game, but we didn’t, so we gotta come back next game and be locked in and be more solid.”
Despite leading the Pistons with 28 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, Cunningham admitted he must also improve in these games, particularly on the defensive end of the court, before adding that his team is not “2-26 bad.”
Detroit head coach Monty Williams echoed Cunningham’s sentiment.
“I want to be really careful with my words because this one hurts more than many of them,” Williams admitted.
When asked about how the team is doing mentally, Williams said, “You can just about imagine.
“You have these kinds of opportunities, you’ve lost 25 in a row, you’re probably not in a great mental state but, again, what choice do you have but to fight and compete and dig your way out of it?”
The-CNN-Wire
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