The Detroit Pistons entered Thursday night's matchup against the Washington Wizards looking to extend their winning streak to four games.
Of course, this was the second game between the two squads in three days as Detroit pulled off a dominant victory over Washington on Tuesday 123-103.
That would not be the case on Thursday though as the Wizards got their revenge and secured the 129-125 victory to end the Pistons' winning streak.
Detroit had a slow start to the game as they trailed Washington by seven at halftime. The Pistons then outscored the Wizards 39-27 in the third quarter, holding a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Detroit fell apart as they were outscored 33-24, leading to the loss despite Cade Cunningham's 38 points and 10 assists along with Jalen Duren's double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
This was a disappointing loss for Detroit and they made a three-word statement about it on social media after the game concluded.
"That was rough," the Pistons posted on X after the loss.
that was rough pic.twitter.com/mlxZH0p7bJ
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 14, 2025
The Pistons' statement is correct as their loss to Washington was a rough one for them, especially with the Wizards in full tank mode as they try to better their odds for the top pick in the 2025 draft.
Of course, the Wizards have been the worst team in the NBA this season as they currently hold a league-worst 14-51 record. Washington was also without Bilal Coulibaly, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey in the game, leaving them shorthanded against an almost fully healthy Pistons squad.
While it was a bad loss for the Pistons, they hope that this game was just an off night for the team as they struggled shooting the ball.
Despite that, it will not get any easier for Detroit as they will host the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday as they try to put Thursday's disappointing loss behind them.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 11:11 PM.