"Was almost in tears": Monty Williams reveals honest reaction to Pistons ending 28-game losing streak by beating Raptors
The Detroit Pistons snapped their long-standing 28-game losing streak against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. It gave Monty Williams only his third win as the team's new coach this season.
Facing adversities in the age of social media, the young Pistons finally broke through, and it was also a sigh of relief for Williams to see the team grow under his watch.
As a renowned coach, the Pistons gave Williams a lucrative offer he couldn't refuse during the summer: a $100 million, eight-year contract to bring a winning culture back to the Pistons.
It has been a rough start for Monty Williams, as his name is attached to the longest in-season losing streak in NBA history. He admitted getting a bit emotional after the win.
"I've been in a ton of locker rooms my whole life, and that was a first to me. It wasn't relief. It was more like, 'Thank God! Finally.' Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears, and I'm just so happy for our guys. Happy for everybody in the locker room," said Williams to open the post-game press conference.
Monty Williams hopes the Detroit Pistons bring the momentum into their next games
The Detroit Pistons finally ended their losing skid. Coach Monty Williams wanted his team to stay focused, as there's a lot of basketball to play in the 82-game regular season.
For him, the win was a momentum builder, and he wishes to take whatever he can into practice and try to capitalize.
"Sometimes it takes a win like that to get things started and all the situations. Our young guys are growing in," said Williams after the win over the Raptors.
The Pistons were trailing by eight points by halftime but fought back getting a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 20 points, 12 assists and three rebounds while Jalen Duren controlled the paying with 18 points and 17 boards. Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in with 19 points and seven rebounds while Kevin Knox II had 17 points and three triples.
The Detroit Pistons will open 2024 with a marquee matchup with the Houston Rockets. Amen and Ausar Thompson will headline the game, with the twins getting picked fourth and fifth respectively in the 2023 NBA draft and facing off for the first time.