Detroit keeps up losing streak, falls to Houston, 116-107
DETROIT » Christian Wood led a balanced attack with 21 points and eight rebounds as the Houston Rockets defeated the Detroit Pistons 116-107, handing the Pistons their 14th straight loss.
“I was concerned, because this was our sixth game in nine days and we were starting at noon,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “Our first unit really got us off to a good start. Josh (Gordon) set the tone and then Christian worked himself into the game.”
It matches the longest singleseason skid in Pistons history, including 14-game streaks in 197980 and 1993-94. They had a 21game streak spread between the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons.
“I firmly believe we’re going to break out of this losing streak,” said Pistons center Isaiah Stewart. “We just have to
keep our spirits up and keep playing hard, and it is going to turn around. It is.”
Gordon added 18 points for Houston, which had lost four of five. The Rockets had seven players in double figures.
“I think with a noon game, whoever comes out with the most energy is going to win most of the time,” K.J. Martin said. “We were getting to the paint, making extra passes and getting touches for everyone.”
Saddiq Bey had 23 points and Cade Cunningham added 21 for Detroit, which hasn’t won since a 97-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 17.
Wood had 11 points and six rebounds in the first half, helping the Rockets take a 62-49 lead.
“I think we set the tone defensively by giving up 38 points in the first quarter,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “They were driving to the basket, and we weren’t doing anything to stop them. We competed hard after that, but we didn’t give ourselves a chance.”
Houston led 77-62 midway through the third quarter, but Detroit answered with an 8-0 run. However, the Rockets turned three offensive rebounds into a pair of scoring possessions and restore a double-digit lead.
The Rockets finished the quarter with six offensive rebounds and took a 88-75 lead into the fourth.
Detroit couldn’t put together a significant run in the final 12 minutes.
“We can’t win an NBA basketball game with 21 turnovers,” Casey said. “We have to find a way to get that down to 10 or 12 if we want to have a consistent chance to win.”