INDIANAPOLIS – The Detroit Pistons are experiencing a historic moment. Just two years ago, the team set an NBA record for the most consecutive losses in a season. Now, they seem unstoppable. On Monday night, the Pistons tied a team record with their thirteenth consecutive victory, defeating the Indiana Pacers with a score of 122-117. This successful streak ties those of the 1990 and 2004 NBA champion teams, raising their record to 15-2. It’s amazing. We play for the Detroit Pistons, a historic franchise. Being able to make history for a franchise like this is something special. This turnaround is surprising for a franchise that began the 2023-24 season with a 3-36 record and finished with 14 wins. The Pistons have the opportunity to surpass all the great Detroit teams, including the “Bad Boys” of yesteryear. It is fitting that these Pistons, like those teams led by Isiah Thomas, have Boston as an obstacle to achieving a significant goal. Detroit visits the Celtics on Wednesday night in an NBA Cup game. On Monday, Detroit had to overcome another long-standing rival, the injury-stricken and struggling Pacers, to even the record. Indiana demonstrated the toughness of a team that played in the NBA Finals a few months ago, but still fell to 2-15. Cunningham, the former No. 1 pick, has led Detroit’s race to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists on Monday night. Jalen Duren, one of the league’s best rebounders this season, had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Caris LeVert added 19 points. Jaden Ivey returned on Saturday to the already dangerous Pistons team. The fifth pick in the 2022 draft had been out since he broke his fibula in January. He scored 12 points against the Pacers on Monday, playing only 12 minutes due to a minute restriction. Even so, Cunningham didn’t like that the Pistons almost squandered an 18-point lead in the final quarter.
We shouldn’t have let them back in the game like that. So, let’s watch the film, let it disgust us, but work from it, learn from it, and improve.
Cade Cunningham
