Road to (dubious) history: How can Pistons avoid record losing streak?

The Detroit Pistons are two games away from making history. Just not the kind of history any team wants to be making.

After losing on Tuesday to the Brooklyn Nets, the Pistons have now lost 27 consecutive games.

That sets the NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season (once held by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers) and is one back of tying the all-time record of 28 straight defeats set by the 76ers over two seasons in 2015.

For context on just how bad the Pistons have been, they have fewer wins than the NFL's Detroit Lions in the calendar year of 2023. The Pistons have nine wins through 72 games, while the Lions have 13 victories through 17 games.

The Pistons are on pace to win just five games through the entire season. That's two fewer victories than the 2012 Charlotte Bobcats who finished with a 7-59 record and hold the title for lowest regular season win total in NBA history.

Truly wretched stuff.

The Pistons actually started the 2023-24 season at 2-1 (they lost by one point in their opener against the Miami Heat). They have spent more days above .500 than a handful of teams, and the same amount of time as the 12-18 Toronto Raptors, even with their 2-28 record.

With Detroit so close to setting the all-time mark, the question that seems to keep popping up is, who will finally be the one to snap the streak and lose to this team?

Let's take a look at the Pistons' next two games and outline their path toward undesired history and possibly avoiding it.

Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics (23-6), Thursday, at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet+

Undoubtedly, the Pistons' toughest challenge when it comes to snapping their streak will be against the Boston Celtics.

Tied for the best record in the NBA, the Celtics have a top-five offence and defence, and have won eight of their last 10 games, including three straight victories. Oh yeah, Boston's also 14-0 at home.

The Pistons will likely have to hope for a cold shooting night from beyond the arc by the Celtics to have a chance at winning.

Boston likes to do most of its damage in the perimeter game, ranking first in three-point makes and attempts per game. In comparison, Detroit ranks at the bottom of the NBA when it comes to long-distance shooting.

The Pistons instead focus on attacking inside the arc as they rank in the top five for two-point makes and attempts, versus the Celtics, who are bottom-three.

If Boston struggles to hit from three-point range and Detroit keeps attacking at the basket, it won't automatically equal a Pistons win by any means, but it might just be their best shot.

Toronto Raptors (12-18) at Pistons, Saturday, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT

If (or more likely, when) the Pistons make it to Saturday without a win, they'll be tied for the all-time record for most consecutive losses.

So, that means it'll be up to Toronto to hand Detroit a record-setting 29th straight defeat. Coincidentally, when these two teams played earlier in the season, the Raptors handed the Pistons a 29-point loss.

Raptors fans may feel confident heading into the matchup considering how the last game went, and the fact that Toronto has won five straight against Detroit.

However, the Raptors will be going into that game with no rest as they'll be on the second night of a back-to-back after taking on the Celtics the day before. They have a 2-3 record in second legs of back-to-back games.

Toronto has also lost seven of their last 10 overall and has been struggling recently.

Granted, the Raptors did just beat a Washington Wizards team (by 30 points) on Wednesday that most would consider the worst team in the NBA had the 2023-24 Pistons not existed.

So there's evidence to suggest the Raptors can take care of business against bottom-barrel squads.

Still, the Raptors' most consistent quality this season has been inconsistency. They've picked up impressive wins over teams at the top of the standings such as Milwaukee and Minnesota, but have also lost to teams at the bottom such as Charlotte and Portland.

Guaranteeing anything when it comes to this Toronto squad feels like a risky proposition.

Detroit's path to a win in this one will take shape if they can take advantage of a team that's been sputtering defensively as of late.

Through their last 10 games, Toronto has allowed an average of 118 points, which would rank bottom-10 in the league, and has given up over 120 points on five occasions during that span.

The Raptors have also been notorious for giving up big leads, especially throughout this latest stretch. Toronto has been down double digits in 23 of its 30 games this season and has found itself down by 10 or more in 10 of its last 11 games.

If the Pistons can get off to a hot start and build a big lead, like the Raptors have grown accustomed to giving up, it could be too much of a gap for Toronto to overcome.

It'll be interesting to see if the Pistons can end their winless drought over this stretch or if they're destined to enter the record books. Either way, the NBA world will be watching in anticipation.

For what it's worth, Pistons head coach Monty Williams continues to believe in his group.

“Everybody feels down when you lose," Williams told reporters. "You have to allow people to be human, but the way that they come back the next day is something that I am blown away by ... I’ve been around a lot of teams, and not many teams have that type of resilience."

-- With files from The Associated Press