The Boston Celtics beat the Detroit Piston with a 128-122 score on Thursday, making it the NBA’s longest losing streak for the Pistons.
In the triumph, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis recorded the highest score of the game with 35 points, maintaining Boston’s flawless home record at 15-0 for the season.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with an impressive performance, contributing 31 points, nine assists, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Bojan Bogdanovic, a seasoned forward, added 17 points, including a crucial putback layup in the closing seconds of regulation that temporarily extended the Pistons’ chances and led to the overtime period.
In the closing moments, Detroit nearly entered the final possession with a tied score of 106-106 after a goaltending call on Cunningham seemed like it might be overturned following a referee-initiated review. Yet, the officiating team determined that Jayson Tatum’s layup had made contact with the backboard just before Cunningham’s block, resulting in a score of 108-106 before Bogdanovic’s pivotal basket.
The Pistons seemed poised to break their losing streak as they entered halftime with a commanding 19-point lead, propelled by Cunningham’s 22 points in the first half. However, Boston mounted a comeback in the third quarter, outscoring Detroit 35-16, with Tatum and Porzingis contributing 11 and 12 points, respectively.
Despite their efforts, the Pistons experienced their first overtime period of the year in Saturday’s six-point loss. Throughout their ongoing 28-game losing streak, Detroit has suffered narrower defeats only twice: a two-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 8 and a four-point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 20. Notably, 14 of their 28 losses have been by double-digit margins.
The Pistons will head back home and strive to prevent their 29th consecutive loss when facing the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. A loss in this upcoming game would result in the Pistons being equaled with the 1942-45 Chicago Cardinals of the NFL for the longest consecutive losing streak in the history of professional North American sports.
Also Read: LA Clippers Foundation donates millions for community basketball
Leave a Reply