On Wednesday night, the Detroit Pistons shocked the basketball world by clobbering the Boston Celtics in Detroit, 117-97.
The Pistons have won eight straight games, which is the team’s longest winning streak in 17 years. Even more impressively, they are 24-11 in their last 35 games, are now 33-26 and sit in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference right behind Milwaukee and Indiana.
A year ago, this scenario wouldn’t be fathomable as Detroit was in the NBA cellar.
They fired head coach Monty Williams one year into a six-year, $78.5 million contract and the team suffered through a record-setting 28-game losing streak, which was the longest in a single season in NBA history.
But this year, things are vastly different.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit’s quiet star, dropped 21 points and dished out 11 assists while teammate Malik Beasley dropped 26.
Detroit is five wins away from tying its longest winning streak in team history (13) and six away from breaking it.
Their next games are against the Nuggets, Nets, Jazz, Clippers, Warriors and Trailblazers. If they beat Denver, teams will have to pay attention.
And if they win all six games, including a West Coast road trip that starts with Utah, they make history and EVERYONE will have to pay attention.
