Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics on December 28, 2023. Image by Charles Krupa via AP Photo
The best team in the NBA almost lost to the worst team in the NBA. Almost.
The Detroit Pistons had lost 27 straight games, breaking the previous record of 26. Then, it was time for them to take on the league-best Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. In the end, Detroit would lose the game, extending the new record to 28, but it was much closer than it should have been.
At halftime, the Pistons had a 19-point lead over the Celtics, the largest lead against Boston this season. It was looking as though the Celtics would lose to the worst team in basketball history, a truly embarrassing feat. But once the second half began, the expected occurred as Detroit squandered that lead away.
Overtime Thriller
However, the game was much closer than most expected, as overtime would be forced. This game could have gone either way, but in typical Pistons fashion this year, it went Boston’s way. The Celtics won the game 128-122, extending Detroit’s losing streak to 28 straight games, the most in basketball history. The Celtics improved to 24-6, while Detroit fell to 2-29.
“I hurt for them, you know,” said Pistons coach Monty Williams. “We just we feel like we’re just getting so close to not just winning one game, but winning a lot of games if we play that way versus most teams in the league.”
Struggling Early
The Celtics struggled immensely in the first half of the game, going 4-for-24 in three-point attempts. Conversely, Detroit went 13-for-25, with Cade Cunningham going off with 22 points in that half. However, Boston would come back to outscore Detroit 35-16, and eventually, Jayson Tatum would shoot a buzzer-beater that would have won the game, had it gone in. Instead, the game went to OT, where Boston won it and remains undefeated (15-0) at home.
“I told them that it takes a lot of character and integrity to do what they’re doing,” continued Williams. “I’ve been in the league for a while, and I’ve seen teams give in to circumstances that are less than what we’re dealing with, and that was admirable.”
What’s Next?
With the Pistons’ historic woes, respect must be granted to Williams for continuously motivating his team. The good news for Detroit is that each game is another opportunity to end their miserable streak, and to take the Celtics into overtime is promising. Both teams will face the Toronto Raptors next, with Boston taking them on tonight and then Detroit facing them tomorrow night.
