Pistons drop 25th straight to move within loss of tying NBA single-season record

DETROIT - DETROIT (AP) — Kelly Olynyk scored 25 points and the short-handed Utah Jazz beat Detroit 119-111 on Thursday night for the Pistons’ 25th straight loss — one short of the NBA single season record.

The 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers share the record at 26. The 76ers hold the overall mark at 28, a skid that started in the 2014-15 season and carried over into 2015-16.

Back in action Saturday night in Brooklyn, the Pistons are 2-26 under first-year coach Monty Williams.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 21: John Collins #20 of the Utah Jazz drives against Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on December 21, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. Utah won the game 119-111. NOTE TO U

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Utah played without four of its top seven scorers — Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker — on the second night of a back-to-back after losing at Cleveland on Wednesday.

Collin Sexton added 19 points for Utah, and Ochai Agbaji had 18.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 28 points and 10 assists. Jaden Ivey scored 24 points and Marvin Bagley III had 22, but no one else had more than eight.

Utah led 90-88 going into the fourth quarter and took advantage of Detroit’s poor shooting to increase make it 100-93 with 7:40 to play.

The Pistons missed their first six 3-point attempts of the fourth, but Bojan Bogdanovic hit one to make it 104-100 with 4:40 left. Olynyk’s 3-pointer put the Jazz up seven and Sexton’s tip-in made it 115-106 with 1:37 to play.

Sexton added two free throws to make it an 11-point game