DETROIT (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 30 of his 41 points in the first half and the Philadelphia 76ers handed the Detroit Pistons their 21st straight loss, 129-111 on Wednesday night to open a home-and-home series.
Detroit matched the longest streak in franchise history, set at the end of the 1979-80 season and start of 1980-81. It is the sixth-longest single-season losing streak in the NBA.
Only the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers (both lost 26 straight), along with the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies, the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets and the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats (all lost 23 in a row) have lost more games in a row in a season. Philadelphia holds the overall mark of 28, set at the end of 2014-15 and start of 2015-16.
Detroit dropped to 2-22, with the teams set to meet again Friday night in Philadelphia. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 33 points.
PELICANS 142, WIZARDS 122
WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 40 points, Trey Murphy III added six 3-pointers and 27 points and short-handed New Orleans had its best offensive showing of the season to rout Washington.
CJ McCollum had 22 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 18 rebounds. Zion Williamson sat out because of a sprained ankle.
Kyle Kuzma scored 27 points for Washington. The Wizards lost for the 20th time in 23 games, the fastest the team has reached that loss total since the 2012-13 season.
HEAT 115, HORNETS 104
MIAMI (AP) — Duncan Robinson scored 23 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Lowry each added 17 and Miami beat Charlotte to finish off a two-game home-and-home sweep.
Lowry was perfect shooting — 5 for 5 from the floor, 4 for 4 of those on 3-pointers and 3 for 3 from the line. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and 10 assists.
Terry Rozier scored 28 points for Charlotte.
