Q4 10:01

LP

undefined Clippers Logo
LAC
80
undefined Raptors Logo
TOR
94

Q4 8:57

LP

undefined Mavericks Logo
DAL
79
undefined Cavaliers Logo
CLE
130

PREGAME

ESPN

undefined Celtics Logo
BOS
34-15
undefined 76ers Logo
PHI
19-28

1:30 AM UTC (Monday)

ESPN

undefined Grizzlies Logo
MEM
32-16
undefined Bucks Logo
MIL
26-20

Final

LP

undefined Bulls Logo
CHI
119
undefined Pistons Logo
DET
127

Mon

Feb 03

12:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

Washington Wizards Logo
WAS
7-41
Charlotte Hornets Logo
CHA
12-34

12:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

Atlanta Hawks Logo
ATL
22-27
Detroit Pistons Logo
DET
24-24

12:30 AM UTC (Tuesday)

NBA TV

Houston Rockets Logo
HOU
32-16
New York Knicks Logo
NYK
32-17

1:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

San Antonio Spurs Logo
SAS
21-25
Memphis Grizzlies Logo
MEM
32-16

1:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

Sacramento Kings Logo
SAC
24-24
Minnesota Timberwolves Logo
MIN
27-22

1:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

Milwaukee Bucks Logo
MIL
26-20
Oklahoma City Thunder Logo
OKC
38-9

2:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

New Orleans Pelicans Logo
NOP
12-37
Denver Nuggets Logo
DEN
30-19

2:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

Indiana Pacers Logo
IND
27-20
Utah Jazz Logo
UTA
11-36

3:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

NBA TV

Orlando Magic Logo
ORL
24-26
Golden State Warriors Logo
GSW
24-24

3:00 AM UTC (Tuesday)

LP

Phoenix Suns Logo
PHX
25-23
Portland Trail Blazers Logo
POR
20-29
 
 Logo
 Logo
Bridges fuels Nets' victory
 Logo
DET

115

Final

126

 Logo
BKN

LINESCORES

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
DET21352633115
BKN32333328126
TeamPITPFB PTSBIG LDBPTSTREBTOVTTOVPOT
DET422062461318
BKN641221341410222
Lead Changes
7
Times Tied
0

Pistons match NBA single-season record with 26th straight loss, fall 126-115 to the Nets

Sunday, December 24th, 2023 11:15 PM

By BRIAN MAHONEY - AP Basketball Writer

Game Recap

NEW YORK (AP) Pistons players sat in stunned silence, staring blankly ahead in their locker room after yet another loss.

The worst stretch of basketball in their lives now ranks as one of the worst in NBA history.

Detroit matched the league record for the longest losing streak in a single season, falling 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night for its 26th straight loss.

“None of us went through this, ever," center Isaiah Stewart said. “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 in their first season under Monty Williams. They were in the game in the second half before the Nets put them away with a 15-0 run to open a 21-point lead and ensure that Detroit would remain winless since Oct. 28.

The teams will meet again Tuesday night in Detroit, with the Pistons nearing the overall longest skid in league history. The 76ers lost 28 consecutive games from late in the 2014-15 season through early 2015-16.

“Everybody wants to win, everybody hates losing, so it’s hard,” guard Cade Cunningham said. “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 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Nets, who put seven players in double figures and snapped their five-game losing streak. Cam Thomas scored 20 points.

The Nets shot 52% from the field, showing plenty of energy in their second night of back-to-back games after losing to the NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Friday. They got some easy baskets thanks to the Pistons, whose 14 turnovers led to 22 points.

Williams said he didn't feel like their bad play was leading to bad 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 said. “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 were within two midway through the third quarter before a quick seven straight points by the Nets pushed the lead back to nine. It was still just 88-82 with under three minutes remaining, but Royce O'Neale made a 3-pointer and Day'Ron Sharpe followed with consecutive baskets to trigger a 10-0 finish to the period that made it 98-82.

Thomas scored the first five of the fourth quarter to make it 103-82, giving the Nets their largest lead.

Jaden Ivey scored 23 points for the Pistons, who started 2-1 in their first season under Williams before their free fall toward infamy. Cunningham finished with 22 points after being limited to just 11 minutes in the first half after picking up three fouls.

Williams, the NBA Coach of the Year in Phoenix in 2021-22, said he was the one to blame before the game. But the bigger problem might be a roster whose average age is slightly under 25 years old, making the Pistons one of the youngest teams in the league.

They foul too much (most in the league with 22.8 per game) and turn it over too often (29th, with 16.6 per game) and just haven't been able to overcome the combination of errors.

Nets forward Cam Johnson, who along with Bridges played for Williams in Phoenix, believes his former coach can build a contender with his new team.

“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 said.

Detroit started with a couple nice possessions in jumping to a 6-0 lead but then got careless, turning it over six times in the first quarter. The Nets cashed those in for 11 points, which was the margin when the quarter ended with Brooklyn ahead 32-21.

The Pistons played better in the second quarter but could only cut two points off the deficit, trailing 65-56 at the break.

---

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

All Star IconActivate NBA League Pass to watch games live and on demand.

GAME INFO

Date
December 23, 2023
Location

Barclays Center

Brooklyn

NY

Officials
Rodney Mott, Brett Nansel, Matt Myers
Attendance
17,732
Gamebook

LINESCORES

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
DET21352633115
BKN32333328126
TeamPITPFB PTSBIG LDBPTSTREBTOVTTOVPOT
DET422062461318
BKN641221341410222
Lead Changes
7
Times Tied
0