Before Thursday night’s game, Detroit Pistons Head Coach Monty Williams was candid with the media about his squad’s shortcomings.
“It’s pretty clear that we’ve had some struggles in areas, whether it’s getting off to a good start or maintaining it when we do get off to a good start,” he said.
Maintaining the team’s hot start and squandering away a late opportunity was the problem for the Pistons (2-26) on Thursday, Dec. 21, as they extended their franchise-record losing streak to 25 consecutive games, this time dropping a 119-111 contest to the Utah Jazz (11-18).
Much like the Pistons previous loss versus the Atlanta Hawks, the game was still within reach in the final minutes. After starting the fourth quarter the same way they started the second quarter – down only two points – the Pistons couldn’t capitalize on key possessions that would have put them in contention late.
With just under four minutes left, the Pistons found themselves again down just two points, 106-104. But Utah used a 11-2 run to quickly turn a two-point lead into an 11-point lead – 117-106 – and effectively put the nail in the coffin for Detroit’s 25th-straight loss.
“Timely, live-ball turnovers. You lose by eight and you give up 27 points off turnovers that’s just…it’s unexplainable,” Williams said after the game.
The Pistons were led by the trio of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Marvin Bagley, who scored 28 points, 24 points, and 22 points, respectively, on a collective 29-of-50 (58 percent) shooting. Cunningham also contributed 10 assists and seven rebounds, but the Pistons got little else from anyone outside of those three, as the Pistons bench combined for just 22 points, compared to 38 from the shorthanded Utah reserves.
“We didn’t get a lot of bench production to begin with. It has hurt us. We’ve tried to stagger the lineups to get (the starters) back in the game. Obviously, it puts a lot of pressure on those guys to have to come back in and save the day,” Williams said.
“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, compete, and dig your way out of it? I don’t sense a lack of confidence. There’s just a lack of execution.”
The Pistons started the game off to a hot start, shooting 64 percent from the floor in the opening quarter. But more importantly, the team showed grit, scrappiness, hustle, and an energy that hasn’t been present throughout most of this historic landslide. Still, though, it wasn’t enough to outlast the now-11-18 Jazz, who came into the game without key players including Jordan Clarkson, Micah Lauri Markkanen, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
Cunningham said he feels the pressure of the gravity of this streak, as the Pistons added to a franchise-worst losing streak and inched one game closer to the NBA record. The 76ers hold that record for the longest NBA losing streak, spanning 28 games across two seasons in 2014-15, while in a single season, their streak reached 26 games in 2013-14.
“We had a shot to win down the stretch. We just weren’t solid enough. We’ve gotta be better. I’m kind of sick right now. I am sick right now. Nobody wants to be here. We should’ve won this game, but we didn’t,” Cunningham said.
“We’re not ‘2-26’ bad. No way we’re that bad.” I think we can turn it around and play a much better brand of basketball.’
The Pistons play back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 23 and Dec. 26, with hopes of ending their skid. If the Pistons lost the first of those games, they’ll tie the mark for most consecutive losses by any team in one season, and if they lose both, they’ll set a new historic low for the league.
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