It’s been a fun season so far for the Detroit Pistons, filled with plenty of success. In fact, the level of success in Detroit is reminiscent of a certain championship winning team.
As the Detroit Pistons win once again over the Milwaukee Bucks 129-116, they extend their winning streak to 12 games, and move to a 14-2 record.
That winning streak is officially the longest since the 2003-04 season, the same year the Detroit Pistons would be crowned NBA champions.
That team won 13 games in a row from a stretch that began on Dec. 27, 2003 in a 87-84 win over the Atlanta Hawks, and lasted until Jan. 19, 2004 in an 85-77 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
They would lose the next day to the Indianapolis Pacers 81-69.
Before that stretch, the Pistons were sitting at 16-13, just barely above .500. That hot streak propelled them to a 54-28 final record.
They would advance to the NBA finals, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
Chauncey Billups would win finals MVP, and Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton all played major roles during the season.
Fast forward a couple decades, and it feels like deja vu. The Pistons haven’t lost a game since Oct. 27, when they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-95.
Since then it has been nothing but W’s in the box score. What makes their winning streak more impressive is that it has been against 11 unique teams, only beating the Philadelphia 76ers twice.
The Pistons haven’t just been winning either, they’ve been dominating. They currently possess a 7.1 point differential, the highest margin in the eastern conference.
Obviously, it’s been Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren starting during the stretch. Cunningham averages 27 points per game, 9.9 assists and over five rebounds. Meanwhile Duren has been an emerging star, dropping over 20 points a night while hauling in over 11 boards.
Both Cunningham and Duren have had to miss time during their winning stretch though, and other players have been able to step up when needed. Paul Reed had an impressive outing during this stretch, and guys like Daniss Jenkins have really developed into their roles.
The team also isn’t even at full strength yet. Against the Bucks, they saw the return of two key players who have been dealing with injury. Tobias Harris played in his first game since the beginning of the month, and Jaden Ivey made his season debut.
As the season continues, expect the roster to only get stronger and more confident. If history manages to repeat itself, it’ll be a good year to be a Detroit Pistons fan.