The Detroit Pistons on Saturday avoided an unwanted record when they ended their 28-game losing streak with a 129-127 win over the Toronto Raptors.
The Pistons had equaled the record losing streak of the Philadelphia 76ers with their loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday. The 76ers had a 28-game skid spanning the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons.
Detroit’s dismal run was the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, but a first win since October ensured they avoided another miserable milestone.
Photo: AP
Cade Cunningham’s 30 points and 12 assists helped Detroit recapture the winning feeling, and although a three-pointer from Gary Trent with a second remaining narrowed the deficit, it was too late for a Raptors comeback.
Pistons head coach Monty Williams said the scenes in the locker room after the win were special.
“Guys were screaming, I was almost in tears. I’m just so happy for our guys, I’m happy for everybody in the locker-room,” he said.
“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, finally,’” Williams added.
Williams, last year’s NBA Coach of the Year, said he hoped the win would prove to be a turning point for his team.
“Sometimes it just takes a win like that to get things started, and I just have so much respect for our team,” he said.
“I think people may have thought that they were okay with losing, but they came in every day with a great spirit, and they wanted answers. They came in wanting to learn and try to get better,” Williams said. “So I just respect the heck out of our guys. Really happy that we finally got a win, because it’s so hard to win in this league.”
Meanwhile, LeBron James experienced defeat on his 39th birthday as the Los Angeles Lakers were beaten 108-106 at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James, who was on court for 39 minutes, put up 26 points on 10 of 21 shooting from the field with Anthony Davis top scoring for the Lakers with 33 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists.
With 3.1 seconds remaining, James thought he had tied the game at 107-107 with a three-point throw right on the line of the arc, but to his frustration the referee ruled it to be only a two-point effort.
Anthony Edwards, who top scored for Minnesota with 31 points, added a point from the free-throw line before James was off-target with an attempted buzzer beater.
The Miami Heat’s four-game winning streak came to an end with a 117-109 defeat at the Utah Jazz.
With Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid still missing with an ankle injury, Philadelphia, third in the East, lost 105-92 loss at the Chicago Bulls.
The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 140-126 with 22 points and a franchise record-equaling 23 assists from Tyrese Haliburton.
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
FAST AND LOOSE: Despite command struggles, Ohtani has pitched his way out of trouble after falling behind in counts, which manager Roberts credited to his velocity Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night tossed six innings of no-hit ball, gave himself an early lead with a home run and still was not satisfied with his performance. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar dropped some expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic as he struggled with his command in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. He struck out seven, walked four and gave up an earned run in the fourth inning while visibly fuming on the mound. Ohtani (5-2) earned his third consecutive victory. “Just command was off, and I just felt like I was battling the lack of
RSS