Detroit on Thursday opened a 21-point lead against league-best Boston and rallied from a six-point deficit in the final minutes to force overtime, but the Celtics recovered to win 128-122, handing the Pistons their 28th loss in a row and a share of the record for the longest losing streak in NBA history.
It was the first time all season that the Pistons had led by more than 20 points and the first time they had gotten to overtime in the two months since their last win.
“I’m unbelievably proud of the group, the way they bring it,” Pistons coach Monty Williams said. “They’ve heard all the stuff about our team and they just keep bringing it. I know it’s going to pay off.”
Photo: AP
Detroit fell to 2-29 and matched the “Trust the Process” Philadelphia 76ers with 28 consecutive losses. They need a victory at home against the Toronto Raptors tomorrow morning Taiwan time to avoid breaking the NBA record for the longest losing streak.
In major North American sports, only the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals, who lost 29 straight from 1942 to 1945, have had a longer losing 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,” said Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, who scored 22 points in the first half, but missed a potential-winning three-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation time. “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 in the third that helped turn a 15-point deficit into a 77-76 game. Kristaps Porzingis had eight of his season-high 35 points in a 10-0 run that turned a four-point deficit into a 106-100 Boston lead in the final two minutes of regulation.
Jaden Ivey scored six straight points for Detroit to tie it and then, after Jayson Tatum was credited with a layup on a replay-confirmed goaltending call, Bojan Bogdanovic made a putback on Cunningham’s missed three to send it to OT.
However, Derrick White scored 10 of his 23 points in the extra period and Porzingis had six in the overtime — dunking after a full-court pass from Tatum and then sinking a pair of free throws to make it 125-117.
“As bad as they hurt right now, I hurt for them, 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,’” Williams said.
Elsewhere on Thursday, it was:
‧ Bulls 104, Pacers 120
‧ Lakers 133, Hornets 112
‧ Nuggets 142, Grizzlies 105
‧ Pelicans 112, Jazz 105
‧ T’wolves 118, Mavericks 110
‧ Trail Blazers 105, Spurs 118
‧ Warriors 102, Heat 114
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