December 31, (THEWILL) – The Detroit Pistons have finally snapped their agonising 28-game losing streak, the longest in NBA history, defeating the short-handed Toronto Raptors 129-127 early on Sunday.
The epic skid broke the previous single-season record of 26 straight losses shared by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers. Over two seasons from 2014-2016, the 76ers also lost 28 consecutive matches, a mark now equaled by the hapless Pistons. Had Detroit fallen to Toronto, they would have matched the 29-game losing streak suffered by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals from 1942-1945 – the worst across major American professional sports.
There were visible scenes of relief and emotions from Pistons head coach Monty Williams, who admitted he was nearly moved to tears by the long-awaited victory. “I’ve been in a ton of locker rooms my whole life and that’s a first for me to have that kind of… it wasn’t relief it was just like, thank God, you know, finally,” remarked an elated Williams after the game.
Star Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham also spoke of the mental burden the losing streak has had on the squad. “It’s been weighing on us heavy everywhere we go for two months, which is unreal… for it to have been that long,” said Cunningham.
The undermanned Raptors were missing key players after completing a major trade with the New York Knicks earlier in the day, swapping OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Precious Achiuwa for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. The incoming players had not arrived in time for the contest with Detroit, contributing to Toronto’s defeat.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
