BOSTON, Dec 29: Hoping to avoid a 28th straight loss that would match the longest losing streak in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons forced overtime against the league-best Celtics on Thursday night before Boston recovered to win 128-122.
Despite making it to overtime for the first time in the skid, Detroit matched the “Trust the Process” Philadelphia 76ers with 28 consecutive losses. The Pistons need a victory at home against Toronto on Saturday night to avoid breaking the record.
Detroit opened a season-high 21-point lead in the first half only to trail 106-100 in the final two minutes of regulation. Jaden Ivey scored six straight points to erase the deficit, then Bojan Bogdanovic made a putback with 4.6 seconds left to send it to OT.
But Derrick White scored 10 of his 23 points in the extra period and Kristaps Porzingis had six in the overtime — dunking after a full-court pass from Jayson Tatum and then sinking a pair of free throws to make it 125-117. Porzingis had 35 points — 11 in the fourth quarter, and eight of those during a 10-0 run that turned a four-point deficit lead into a 106-100 lead.
Tatum had 31 points 10 assists for Boston, which won its fourth straight and its ninth in the last 10 games. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 31 points and nine assists. Ivey had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Jalen Duren had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons set the NBA record for most consecutive losses in a season Tuesday night with their 27th in a row, a 118-112 loss to Brooklyn. The Sixers’ streak stretched over two seasons, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists on a perfect shooting night and Denver had its highest-scoring game of the season to rout short-handed Memphis.Jokic made 11 field goals, including a 3-pointerm and three throws without a miss. He has 11 triple-doubles this season and 116 overall. (AP)
