Pistons set NBA record with 27th straight loss; Cuban sells share of Mavs for $3.5B
Cameron Johnson scored 24 points and the visiting Brooklyn Nets beat the Pistons 118-112 on Tuesday night as Detroit set a single-season NBA record with its 27th consecutive loss.
The Pistons tied the record with a 126-115 setback against Brooklyn on Saturday.
Detroit’s 27-game losing streak tops the runs of futility of the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, who each lost 26 straight.
Philadelphia holds the longest losing streak of all-time, which spanned over the course of two seasons. The 76ers dropped 28 straight between the end of the 2014-15 season and the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign. The Pistons can match that skid when they visit the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
Mikal Bridges had 21 points and Cam Thomas tossed in 17 for Brooklyn on Tuesday. Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe each added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Cade Cunningham carried the Pistons with 41 points, 37 in the second half. Bojan Bogdanovic had 23 points, Alec Burks added 15 and Jalen Duren chipped in 12 to go along with 15 rebounds.
Elsewhere: The NBA Board of Governors approved Mark Cuban’s
$3.5 billion sale of the controlling interest in the Dallas Mavericks to casino mogul Miriam Adelson
and her family. Patrick Dumont, Adelson’s sonin-law and the president and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., will serve as the Mavericks’ governor. The transaction is expected to close this week, according to a news release from the league on Wednesday. According to earlier reports, Cuban, 65, who purchased the Mavs in 2000 for $285 million, is expected to maintain control of the Mavericks’ basketball operations . ... The Denver Nuggets said forward Aaron Gordon is in good condition following a Christmas Day dog bite. The team said Wednesday that Gordon, 28, is recovering from lacerations to his face and shooting hand, his right. The Athletic reported Gordon required 21 stitches. The Nuggets said he will remain away from the team during his recovery.
ETC.
College football: Kyron Drones rushed for a career-best 176 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Virginia
Tech to a 41-20 victory over Tulane on Wednesday afternoon in the Military Bowl at Annapolis, Maryland.
Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies (7-6) rolled up 362 yards on the ground. Tulane (11-3) lost its second straight game as star quarterback Michael Pratt opted out of the contest and coach Willie Fritz departed to take over the Houston program. Slade Nagle served as interim coach for the Green Wave . ... Former Florida State and California defensive back
Raymond Woodie III is headed to Bethune-Cookman University to finish his college career. Woodie has committed to B-CU, where his father — Raymond Woodie Jr. —is the head coach. Woodie started his career at Florida State, recording 34 tackles, 4 tackles for loss (-9 yards), 1.5 sacks (-5 yards), one pass breakup, one pass defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 19 games. His father was linebackers coach when he arrived in 2019 before moving on to Florida Atlantic with Willie Taggart. Woodie hit the transfer portal after the 2020 season and landed at Cal. Three seasons at
Cal resulted in 23 tackles and one fumble recovery. ... Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman announced his plans to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4 junior caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games for the unbeaten Seminoles. Coleman played his first two seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Tallahassee . ... Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III has opted out of the Citrus Bowl game against No. 17 Iowa (10-3) on
New Year’s Day, leaving 5-star true freshman Nico Iamaleava to make the start under center for the No. 21 Volunteers (8-4). Milton announced his decision Tuesday on social media to skip the bowl and begin preparation for the 2024 NFL Draft.
MLB: The Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced their 12-year contract with right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday. The deal is worth a reported $325 million. In seven Nippon Professional Baseball League seasons pitching for the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto compiled a 70-29 record with one save and a 1.82 ERA in 172 games. He struck out 922 batters over 897 innings.