Detroit Pistons are one loss away from equaling the worst NBA single-season losing streak, after losing 119-111 to the Utah Jazz. It was their 25th straight loss, prompting chants of “sell the team!” from home supporters in Detroit.
The Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-11 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14 share the record of 26 consecutive losses, the worst in a single season so far.
“This is history no-one wants to be a part of,” said Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham.
“We’re not 2-26 bad – no way are we that bad,” added Cunningham, who led Detroit with 28 points and 10 assists.
“I think we can turn this around. We can play a much better brand of basketball.”
The Pistons are currently sitting at the bottom, winning only two games this season, the last of which was against the Chicago Bulls on 29 October.
“I want to be careful with my words – this one hurts more than most of them,” head coach Monty Williams said.
“A team that played last night got [50] points off turnovers and rebounds. It is unbelievably hard to understand how we can get outworked in those categories,” he added.
The all-time longest losing streak in NBA history is a 28-game run by the Sixers spread between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
In other news, the San Antonio Spurs suffered their 21st defeat in 22 games, falling 114-95 to the Chicago Bulls as Coby White scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan added 21.
