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The Detroit Pistons snapped an NBA record 15-game playoff losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 100-94 in Game 2.
Cade Cunningham had 33 points and 12 rebounds and Dennis Schroder chipped in 20 points off the bench to help level the series at 1-1.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who averaged over 24 points per game in the regular season, managed just 10 points. He only attempted 11 field goals and had zero free-throw attempts. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart were also limited to 10 points each while the bench managed just eight points.
The only players who showed up on the offensive end were Jalen Brunson with 37 and Mikal Bridges with 19.
That 15-game playoff losing streak was the longest in NBA history. The Knicks are second with a 13-game streak between 2001 and 2012. The Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies have both had 12-game playoff losing streaks.
Detroit’s streak very nearly came to an end in Game 1, but an eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter was wiped out by a 21-0 Knicks run.
New York rallied once again in this one to tie the game at 94 but the Pistons showed better resilience this time around.
Remembering the Pistons Streak
Detroit’s losing streak began in 2008 when losing to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals in six games. After the series was tied 2-2, Boston took the final two games to advance to the NBA Finals. They went on to win the championship.
The Pistons returned to the postseason in 2009 but were swept 4-0 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. That was followed by a six-year absence from the playoffs before returning in 2016 and getting swept 4-0 once again by the Cavs. That’s right, LeBron James is primarily responsible for more than half the streak.
After a two-year hiatus, Detroit reached the first round in 2019 but were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Losing Game 1 of this year’s first round series to New York extended the losing streak to 15.
Can the Pistons now start a win streak? Game 3 will be in Detroit on Thursday night.
