Exactly two years ago, also on November 24, the Detroit Pistons suffered their 13th straight loss of the season at the Indiana Pacers. They had 15 more games to go, heading towards the worst record in NBA history (28). Now, on the same stage and facing the same rival, the series has just confirmed a remarkable rebirth, one that carries echoes of the city’s final episodes. With the 117-122 win on the road, the Cade Cunningham-led team equaled a team-best winning streak (13), a feat that puts them on par with the team. Bad boys For the year 1990 and Go to work 2004 Pistons, both teams won the championship.
Cunningham, the group’s leader, commented after finishing a very important match: “It means a lot, we have come from a very far place, and we are working hard. It is a beautiful record, although we have to continue accumulating victories.” This was when they finished with 14 wins and 68 losses two years ago. They now lead the Eastern Conference with 15 wins and only 2 losses. “We play for the Detroit Pistons, which is a historic franchise,” said the 24-year-old American guard, who has the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft. “Being able to make history here, etc., is very special.”
Detroit has been waiting for this moment for more than 20 years, and the penance is in Motown“It became so long that along the way they also broke the record for consecutive defeats in Playoffs (15). It was the same group led by Cunningham that tore down this wall last year, the first green shoots of what is now a forest. The great moment and new identity for the JB Bickerstaff-coached team led to a title match that matched the best times in the series. “We have a gang of stinky dogs,” the trainer commented just a week ago. the Bad dogs in English. The idea caught on.
“There’s something raw about them, and that’s what’s fun about our group. They like the situation when it gets tough and unpleasant and ugly. They thrive there. We like to take our competitors to that place, get them out of their wits and see how they respond,” the coach developed as he tried to define the identity of his pupils. Having always been championship teams in the past, the Pistons are once again a team with outstanding defensive values. They are the second-best defense in the NBA — behind only the unassailable Oklahoma City Thunder, the current champion with a 17-1 record — and the third-most team with the most blocks (6) and steals (10.2) on average in the entire league. He also recovered the most break-up balls (6.2) and achieved victories in tight matches (10).
The driving force behind it all is, without a doubt, Cunningham, a star in the making. “He shows up every night and does what’s necessary for the team to win. Sometimes he doesn’t make a single shot in the first quarter, sometimes he starts in the second quarter. But you can always count on him in the final period,” praises Isiah Thomas, a two-time NBA champion with the team. Bad boys And a member of the Hall of Fame. “It reminds me of when Nikola Jokic started elevating his game,” adds the Detroit legend, who also mentions Magic Johnson’s style when referring to his former team’s standout. “Great players find a way to beat you by making their teammates better, and that’s where Kidd is right now.” The kid from Arlington is averaging 27.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 9.6 assists this season on 44.4% shooting from the field.
His demand is capital, which is why he did not smile last night after the aforementioned victory. “We’re not thinking about the line, but about playing the best version of ourselves, and tonight we didn’t play that, so I’m not happy about that,” said the guard who had 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, including a hook under the rim in the final minute that spooked a Pacers comeback attempt during the final minute. Last year’s finalists, without their star Tyrese Haliburton, suffered 15 defeats and only two victories. Bickerstaff emphasized: “We have to be more greedy. In the third and final quarter we lowered our defense, and I will insist on this: our defense is our identity. We can never be satisfied with ourselves, this has to be our mentality.”
To surround Cunningham, Detroit has a good mix of youth and veterans. Starting center Jalen Doeren is a double-double machine averaging 20.3 points and 11.5 rebounds in 2025. At 22 years old, he forms a devastating tandem of blocking and holding down point guard, a touchstone of an offensive scheme that needs fire to some extent. Duncan Robinson, the 31-year-old veteran forward and famed triple shooter, is the only one covering the position with guarantees. Osar Thompson, a 22-year-old shooting guard and the number five pick in the 2023 draft, completes the perimeter, while Tobias Harris backed up the quintet during the loss of Jaden Ivey, the number five pick in the 2022 draft. Off the bench, the contribution of Isaiah Stewart, one of the best defenders in the paint this season, stands out.
Competitors also see similarities between Evil dogs And the best teams in franchise history. “This equipment is built in a similar way to Bad boys And pistons in my time. They are physical, difficult, deep. They are a reflection of the city’s character, and they are well trained. “They’re making it clear they’re very serious,” Rick Carlisle, Indiana’s coach and former Detroit coach, said before the season leading up to their last title in 2004. The curse has been broken once and for all, and he still has a bad taste in his mouth from being eliminated by the Knicks in the first round of the tournament. Playoffs Last year, they will look to put the finishing touches on their impressive streak this Wednesday against the Celtics, one of their historic rivals during the late 1990s as Thomas, Dumars, Rodman, Laimbeer and company crashed a party no one invited them to.
“From the day I arrived I knew no one was satisfied with what happened last year,” says Robinson, a summer recruit. “It’s a fun challenge, but it’s easy with this group. Everyone has a lot of ambition, everyone wants more.” In Detroit, excitement is at its peak after decades of dark clouds.