"They had one job": Pistons fans sound off after blowing 21-point lead vs Celtics in near-streak ending OT game
The Detroit Pistons' woes continued as they dropped their 28th consecutive game, experiencing a meltdown against the league-leading Boston Celtics and ultimately falling 128-122 in overtime. At one point in the first half, the Pistons were up 21 points.
The defeat has brought the Pistons on par with the 2014-2016 Sixers for the longest consecutive losing streak in NBA history at 28 games. They are just one loss away from equaling the longest streak across NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB history, held by the 1942-1945 Chicago Cardinals at 29 consecutive losses.
Even though beating the Celtics is a challenging feat, fans criticized the Detroit Pistons for the way they lost the game.
Here are some reactions from fans on X:
"They had one job" - One fan wrote
Cade Cunningham continued his stellar play despite the Pistons' challenges, contributing 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, along with nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Jaden Ivey added 22 points, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 17 points, Jalen Duren contributed 15 points and Alec Burks chipped in with 12 points for the Pistons.
Despite holding a 19-point lead at halftime, the team experienced a setback in the third quarter, getting outscored 35-16.
Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, who scored 35, 31 and 23, respectively, led the charge for Boston's strong second half.
The Pistons are now 2-29 on the season and are set to take on the Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets in their upcoming five games.
Monty Williams says he’s “hurt” for the Detroit Pistons
In a bid to revitalize the franchise and break free from mediocrity, the Pistons gave Monty Williams one of the most substantial coaching deals in NBA history. Despite this investment, the team's performance took a downturn, leading to it breaking some of the worst records in NBA history.
Following the defeat against the Celtics, Williams expressed empathy for the team, saying he felt a sense of hurt for the outcomes of their games.
Addressing the Pistons' resilience in making comebacks but ultimately falling short, Williams said it demonstrates a significant amount of character.
“It takes a lot of character to do what we are doing…I hurt for them,” he said.
“We feel like we are getting so close to not just winning one game, but lots of games.”
The Pistons have a minus-11.1 net rating this season, which is 29th in the league. In the three games leading up to tonight, the Pistons faced losses with deficits of 11, eight and six points, respectively.