Pistons Set Longest Win Streak in a Decade One Season After Franchise-Worst Finish

The Pistons won their seventh game in a row Monday, their longest win streak since the 2014-15 season.
Detroit Pistons center Duren celebrates with forward Harris on a time out during the second half against the LA Clippers at Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit Pistons center Duren celebrates with forward Harris on a time out during the second half against the LA Clippers at Little Caesars Arena. / David Reginek-Imagn Images
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If the Detroit Pistons aren't on your radar, you may want to pay attention to the turnaround underway in the Motor City. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night, on the second night of a back-to-back, to win their seventh game in a row.

The last time the Pistons won seven in a row? A decade ago, during the 2014-15 season. Detroit now sits with a 32-26 record on the year, a mark which is currently good for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. Just a season ago, they finished with the NBA's worst record at 14-68. It was the Pistons’ worst season in franchise history. Less than a year removed from that disaster, Detroit is rolling.

Pistons big man Jalen Duren threw seven fingers in the air after the win Monday, letting everyone know the past is the past.

Over the offseason, Detroit hired a new president in Trajan Langdon and head coach in J.B. Bickerstaff who have quickly helped turn the tide.

Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, leads the charge on the floor for the budding Pistons. He's averaging 25.8 points on the year thus far, a top-10 number across the league, along with 9.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game. Only Trae Young and Nikola Jokić are averaging more assists than Cunningham this season.

His breakout has lifted the Pistons back into relevance and brought his first All-Star appearance along the way. He had 32 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the win over the Clippers Monday. Just 24 hours before, he had 38 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in a win in Atlanta over the Hawks.

"It wasn't going to come easy for us tonight," Bickerstaff said to reporters postgame Monday via FanDuel Sports Network Detroit. "But I couldn't be more proud of these guys to show that resiliency, show that mental toughness. Because we got some tired guys out there, but they figured out a way to manipulate the game so we can play it our speed and play it into our favor to win the game."

The Pistons have a chance to extend their streak Wednesday against the defending champion Boston Celtics. Detroit is tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the longest active winning streak in the NBA.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.