Pistons Snap 28-Game Losing Streak With Win Over Raptors

The Detroit Pistons snapped their record losing streak tonight against the Toronto Raptors, with a 129-127 victory. Cade Cunningham had 30 points and 12 assists for the Pistons. The Pistons, hadn’t won a game since Oct. 28. They matched the Philadelphia 76ers’ record of 28, split over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

The Pistons tied the record for longest losing streak in NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB history. Detroit did, however, set the single-season NBA record with its 27th straight loss earlier this week. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 17 rebounds for Detroit (3-29), while Kevin Knox II scored 17 points.

Pascal Siakam had 35 points and Dennis Schroder scored 28 for Toronto, which was playing the second half of a back-to-back. The Pistons led 90-86 going into the fourth, and neither team was able to put together a run until back-to-back 3-pointers by Cunningham and Jaden Ivey made it 110-99 with 5:50 to go.

Toronto responded with an 8-2 run, including six points from Scottie Barnes, but Cunningham’s jumper made it 114-107 and the Pistons got three straight stops against Siakam. Another jumper by Cunningham moved the margin to nine with 1:34 to play.

Siakam’s 3-pointer made it 126-122 with 17 seconds left, but the Pistons clinched the game from the line. Gary Trent Jr. hit a 3-pointer with a second left. This loss will surely be a source of embarrassment for the Raptors for the rest of the season.

The Pistons’ losing streak had become a source of fascination around he country. Jokes about them were ubiquitous. No team wanted to be the one to end their losing streak. Will this win lead to a marked improvement in the Pistons’ fortunes? Probably not. But it is a welcome respite from the constant losing.

The Toronto Raptors drop to 12-20 for the season. Will this loss be the death kneel for their season? We shall see. But it does seem to be a tradition for Canadian sports, both Canadian athletes, and teams located in Canada, to lose. Canada simply doesn’t have America’s winning sporting DNA.

There is a sense of disappointment from some that we didn’t see the Pistons break American professional sports all time losing streak record. But we were able to see the Pistons pick themselves up and finally win a game. So we should commend them for never giving up. Where will the Pistons end this season? We shall see.