Detroit endures 24 consecutive losses on the court

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Pistons once again struggled to break free from their prolonged losing streak. On Tuesday, in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season away game, Detroit suffered a 124-130 defeat against the Atlanta Hawks, extending their losing streak to 24 games. Despite a remarkable performance from Detroit's starting guard, Cade Cunningham, who scored 43 points—the highest for both teams and a personal career high—the team couldn't avoid the loss. "I want to win. We have to be better," Cunningham said after the game."

Detroit has not experienced a victory in 51 days, with their last win dating back to October 29 when they defeated Chicago 118-102. Notably, the longest losing streak in NBA history spans two seasons and belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers, which suffered 28 consecutive losses during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons. However, the record for the most consecutive losses in a single season is held by the Cleveland Cavaliers, which endured 26 consecutive losses in the 2010-2011 season, along with Philadelphia's 2013-2014 season.

At the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Detroit suffered its 25th loss of the season (with two wins) against Atlanta on Tuesday, resulting in a winning percentage of 0.074. Among all 30 teams in the two major NBA conferences, Detroit is the sole team with a winning percentage below 100%. The San Antonio Spurs, occupying the last spot in the Western Conference, has a slightly higher winning percentage of 0.160 (with four wins and 21 losses). On a positive note, the Los Angeles Clippers secured a 151-127 victory over the Indiana Pacers on the same day, marking their eighth consecutive win.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com