Sixers drop 26th straight game to tie NBA consecutive losses record

The Philadelphia 76ers tied the NBA record with their 26th consecutive loss (dating back to last season) in an 84–80 loss to the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers allowed nine unanswered points to fall 84–80 to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, tying the NBA record for longest skid with their 26th consecutive loss dating back to last season.

The Sixers led the early second quarter, but the Celtics went on an 18–3 run to close the game in the fourth. After Jahlil Okafor hit a difficult and-one shot in the lane to give Philadelphia a five-point lead, Boston answered with a pair of Evan Turner free throws and an Isaiah Thomas layup in transition. That cut it to 80–79 with 1:10 to go.

Robert Covington lost control of the ball with under a minute left, which led to a dagger three from Jae Crowder at the top of the key to give Boston an 82–80 lead. The Celtics held on for the win, with Phil Pressey missing a game-tying jumper around the foul line in the final seconds.

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Thomas finished with 30 points and six assists for the Celtics. Okafor led the Sixers with 19 points and nine rebounds. Philadelphia similarly gave away a game on Nov. 21 against Miami, a 96–91 loss in which it blew an 11-point fourth–quarter lead.

The ’10-11 Cavaliers and ’13-14 Sixers hold the inauspicious record for most consecutive losses in one season, with 26 apiece—a mark the Sixers  tied across two seasons with the loss.

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Philadelphia, now 0–16, could own the longest losing streak in league history after facing Houston on the road Friday. The Sixers travel to Memphis on Sunday and hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, where a loss would make them the first 0–19 team in NBA history, an all-time horrible start.

The Sixers last won a regular season game on March 25, 2015, a 99–85 win over the Denver Nuggets.

You can watch highlights of Boston’s win below.