The Detroit Pistons have made NBA history.
They became the league’s first team to lose 27 straight games in a season, falling 118-112 to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEDT).
The Nets beat the Pistons on Saturday in Brooklyn, handing them their 26th consecutive defeat to match the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for the most losses in a row within one season.
Detroit no longer share the unwanted mark.
Next up is the overall record of 28 straight losses, set by the Sixers from late in the 2014-15 season through early 2015-16.
At least matching the record seems likely with a game on Friday (AEDT) against the NBA-leading Boston Celtics on the road.
The game against the Nets, like the season, started with some hope.
Detroit led 9-1 and had a 14-point lead in the first quarter before poor shooting, defence coupled with turnovers paved the way for Brooklyn to extend the Motor City’s misery.
The Nets outscored the Pistons by 13 in the second period to lead 61-54 at halftime.
Cade Cunningham scored 18 of his 41 points in the third quarter and made a three-pointer early in the fourth to give Detroit a 97-92 lead.
Just as fans who nearly filled Little Caesars Arena started cheering with passion heard at a playoff game, the Nets went on a 13-0 run to take the lead for good.
Bojan Bogdanovic did score 23 points before fouling out and in the final minute, fed-up fans started to chant, “Sell the team! Sell the team!” though Pistons owner Tom Gores was not in the building to hear it.