The Pistons officially end their 2023-24 season with the worst record in franchise history (14-68) and the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history (28)
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Inspired by other community mods’ initiative AND compelled by little community engagement, I’ll be setting up a monthly thread for Pistons post-game recaps starting with the November 17 game vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers
Older games recap (all losses):
2023-11-27
Detroit Pistons tie franchise mark with 14th straight loss in blowout to Wizards, booed off floor
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
The stakes were high, but not because a handsome prize awaited at the finish line.
Rather, it was a battle between two teams looking to prove that they weren’t the worst.
The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards entered Monday night tied with the NBA’s worst record (2-14). The Pistons, at home and riding a 13-game losing streak, perhaps had a bit more to play for.
It ended up not being much of a battle. After trailing by three at halftime, the Pistons collapsed in the second half and fell to the Wizards, 126-107, at Little Caesars Arena. The 14-game losing streak ties their longest in franchise history, as the team previously accomplished the feat in 1980 and 1994.
The 1979-80 season began with Dick Vitale as head coach, though he was fired after 12 games. Richie Adubato was the interim when the team ended the season with a 14-game skid. The Pistons traded its two first-round picks the summer before to Boston as a part of the Bob McAdoo deal.
In 1993-94, the final season for Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas, the team lost 14 straight in December and January. Detroit drafted Grant Hill third overall the next summer.
On Monday night, the Pistons struggled with the two things that have cost them the most during their losing streak — turnovers, and excessive fouling. They committed 17 turnovers, their 12th game this season with at least that many, and 22 personal fouls to give the Wizards a 28-19 advantage in free-throw attempts.
They were also crushed by their lack of outside shooting, finishing a season-worst 8-for-38 (21.1%) from the 3-point line. Their previous low was 7-for-29 (24.1%) against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 8.
Flint native Kyle Kuzma turned a close game into a rout almost single-handedly. The tide turned against the Pistons for good in the third quarter, during which Kuzma scored 18 of his game-high 32 points, in addition to grabbing seven rebounds and dishing three assists. He finished with 12 rebounds and eight assists.
He went 7-for-11 during the stretch.
Alec Burks completed a three-point play with roughly 5 seconds remaining in the third to cut the deficit to 91-83. But Kuzma pushed the lead to double-digits for good, nailing a deep pull-up 3 with 1.1 seconds to go in the period.
Michigan alumnus Jordan Poole had a quieter night, finishing with 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting.
The Pistons were led by Cade Cunningham (26 points, seven rebounds and five assists) and Ausar Thompson (16 points). Jaden Ivey (15 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) and Jalen Duren (12 points, 14 rebounds) also reached double-figures.
Marvin Bagley III was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Worst shooting performance of season
Detroit missed five consecutive 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter before Cunningham hit Marcus Sasser with a pinpoint pass to break the spell. Before that 3, the Pistons were shooting 6-for-32 (22%) from deep.
Their previous offensive possession ended with a turnover that led to an open transition dunk, allowing the Wizards to increase the lead to 18, and allowing boos from the sparse, and frustrated, Little Caesars Arena crowd to rain down. More boos followed when the deficit reached 20 with fewer than 3 minutes left.
The Pistons’ coldest night from downtown came at the worst time. Their four best shooters in the lineup, Cunningham, Isaiah Livers, Isaiah Stewart and Alec Burks, went a combined 5-for-26 from long range. The clanks grew in number as the Wizards — and especially Kuzma — caught fire during the second half.
Despite their putrid shooting performance in the final two quarters, it was an improvement from the first half, in which they missed 13 of 16 3-pointers. But the Pistons' offense collapsed as a whole after halftime.
Ausar shines during bleak night
Thompson, the No. 5 overall pick last summer, went through a miniature slump last week. He failed to reach double-digits in the scoring after posting a career-high 21 against the Atlanta Hawks. But the Pistons are starting him because of everything else he can do. Though Monty Williams went away from his prized rookie late in two games.
The rookie played just 17 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers, logging just a minute and 45 seconds in the second half after a mistake-laden first half. And he only played two minutes and 35 seconds in the fourth quarter during Detroit’s late-game collapse against the Indiana Pacers last Friday.
In a night there wasn’t much to cheer for, Thompson was the lone source of joy. He got going early, scoring six of Detroit’s first 12 points with a pair of dunks. His two biggest plays of the night were an acrobatic up-and-under layup, and a thunderous block on Poole late in the second quarter.
Next up: Lakers
Matchup:
Pistons (2-15) vs. L.A. Lakers (10-8).
Tipoff:
7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio:
Bally Sports Detroit; WWJ-AM (950).