Detroit Pistons go cold, clinch at least tie for worst team record ever in loss to Sixers

The Detroit Pistons ended their four-game road trip how they started it — with a loss. 

The Pistons limped to a 120-102 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, dropping their record to 13-66 with less than a week remaining in the season. Joel Embiid was unstoppable, helping Philadelphia overcome the absence of Tyrese Maxey with 37 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. 

Cade Cunningham missed his fourth straight game due to left knee injury management. Monty Williams noted on Saturday that the Pistons expect him to return to the floor this season, though he only has three more opportunities with the season concluding in San Antonio on Sunday. 

The Sixers locked down defensively after a sloppy first half, holding the Pistons to 31.8% shooting in the second half. Jaden Ivey (25 points) and Evan Fournier (21 points) did most of the heavy-lifting on offense, and Jalen Duren added a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

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Loss clinches tie for worst record in franchise history (at best)

The 1979-80 Pistons won just 16 games, the fewest in franchise history. This year’s team is guaranteed to tie for the worst record at-best, with just 13 wins and three games remaining on the schedule. One more loss will clinch the worst record in franchise history. 

The Pistons also will almost certainly finish with the NBA’s worst record for the second season in a row. Detroit would need to win all three of its remaining games, and the 15-win Washington Wizards would have to lose all three of theirs. 

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Two of the Pistons’ final three games appear to be winnable, though they’ll need Cunningham to return to maximize their chances. Their home finale on Thursday is against the Chicago Bulls, who they have already defeated twice. Their season finale is on the road against the San Antonio Spurs, the West’s worst team with 19 wins. 

But the two games are sandwiched by a road game against the red-hot Dallas Mavericks, who have won nine of their last 10. If the Pistons go winless to close out the season, their 13 win total would tie for the fifth-fewest in NBA history among 82-game seasons. 

Ivey, Fournier carry offense

It’s been a rough finish to the season for Ivey, who entered Friday shooting just 38.3% overall and 27.9% from 3 since All-Star break. His performance against the Sixers was needed — he scored 17 of his 25 points before halftime, knocking down four of his five 3-point attempts in the stretch. 

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Fournier also shook off his season-long rust, making five of his six shots in the first half to score 15 of his 21 points by halftime. Detroit’s offense otherwise struggled to get going early, and the Sixers pulled away in the second half after locking down defensively on Ivey and Fournier. The Pistons shot just 5-for-21 (23.8%) in the third quarter, and 9-23 (39.1%) in the fourth.

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

Next up: Bulls

Matchup: Pistons (13-66) vs. Chicago (37-41 entering Tuesday).

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Thursday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Channel 20 in Detroit; WWJ-AM (950).