Pistons coach Monty Williams argues a call during the first half of Tuesday’s defeat to the Nets, setting a new single-season record for losses in a single season.
Duane Burleson | AP photo
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DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have made NBA history.
Detroit became the league’s first team to lose 27 straight games in a season, falling 118-112 to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
The Nets beat the Pistons on Saturday in Brooklyn, handing them their 26th consecutive defeat to match the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for the most losses in a row within one season.
Detroit no longer shares the unwanted mark.
Next up is the overall record of 28 straight losses, set by the Philadelphia 76ers from late in the 2014-15 season through early 2015-16.
At least matching the record seems likely with a game Thursday night against the NBA-leading Boston Celtics on the road.
The game against Brooklyn, like the season, started with some hope.
Detroit led 9-1 and had a 14-point lead in the first quarter before poor shooting, defense coupled with turnovers paved the way for Brooklyn to extend the Motor City’s misery.
The Nets outscored the Pistons by 13 in the second quarter to lead 61-54 at halftime.
Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his 41 points in the third quarter and made a 3-pointer early in the fourth to give Detroit a 97-92 lead.
Just as fans who nearly filled Little Caesars Arena started cheering with passion heard at a playoff game, the Nets went on a 13-0 run to take the lead for good.
Cunningham did his part to give the team a shot to finally win, but he didn’t have much help and even he had a turnover
Bojan Bogdanovic did score 23 points before fouling out and after leaving Cam Johnson wide open for a 3-pointer that gave Brooklyn a six-point lead with 1:40 to go. Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 pick overall last year, missed 9 of 12 shots as the Nets backed off him and welcomed the guard to shoot.
Johnson scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 21 to lead Brooklyn.
Cunningham scored 37 in the second half and shot 15 for 21 from the field, but Bogdanovic was the only other Pistons player with more than 15.
Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe each added double-doubles for the Nets, who beat the Pistons for the second straight game.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s 3-pointer capped a 13-0 run that put the Nets up 105-97 with 4:53 to play. Cunningham missed a pair of free throws, but came back with a 3-pointer and a three-point play to pull Detroit within 109-106 with 1:54 left.
After Johnson’s 3-pointer, a pair of layups from Cunningham made it 112-10. Finney-Smith, though, hit a baseline 3 to put the Nets up 115-110 with 38 seconds left.
Alec Burks missed a 3-pointer, and the Nets clinched the game from the free throw line as fans chanted “Sell the team! Sell the team!” Pistons owner Tom Gores was not in the building to hear it.
Brooklyn took an 11-point lead early in the third quarter, but the Pistons responded with an 11-0 run to tie the game at 71. Cunningham scored 18 of Detroit’s 31 points in the period, keeping Detroit within 88-85 going into the fourth.
The Pistons started the game with a 22-8 run, giving hope to a large crowd, but the Nets outscored them 53-32 in the rest of the first half.