The Pistons extended their losing streak to 28 games, tying the all-time North American record, in heartbreaking fashion. The Pistons had a 19-point lead over the Celtics, 14-0 at home, going into the half. However, the Celtics surged in the third quarter, completely erasing the deficit entering the final frame. Despite this, the Pistons managed to hang with the Celtics throughout the final quarter, forcing overtime. But an end to the losing wasn't to be as Boston outscored Detroit 20-14 to stay undefeated at home.
"I just told them that it takes a lot of character and integrity to do what they're doing. I've been in the league for a while, and I've seen teams give into circumstances that are less than what we're dealing with. That was admirable. I hurt for them. 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," Pistons head coach Monty Williams said. Cade Cunningham had 31 points, with Jaden Ivey also reaching 22. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the combined 66 from Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis.
Pistons Keep Searching For Next Win
With the game wrapped up with a Porzingis dunk, the Pistons went back to the drawing board. "I'm not interested in just winning one more game this year, to stop this. That would be soft, in my opinion. I think 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 and to find our system, find what's clicking, and allow us to sustain winning. That's what we're looking for right now," Cunningham said after the game.
Next up for Detroit is a home game against the Raptors on Saturday. In a rebuild of their own, Toronto is 12-18 entering the matchup. While the Raptors are largely at full strength, the Pistons have one major advantage over the Raptors. Detroit has a rest day before they host Toronto. Meanwhile, the Raptors will play Detroit as the back-end of a back-to-back after playing Boston on Friday. Maybe that's the edge that will stop the Pistons single-handedly taking the infamous record for themselves.
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