Remember two years ago when the Pistons broke the record for the longest losing streak in a single season?

Yeah. Neither do we.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday Kendrick Perkins, Tony Snell, DJ Augustin, and Scotty Pippen Jr.! 🎉

Game Recaps

Pistons defeat Sixers 111-108 for 6th straight win, surge to top of East

There’s a party going on in MoTown, and the Pistons are making sure it doesn’t stop any time soon.

On Sunday, Detroit won a close one over Philly to keep their six-game win streak alive, a run which has carried them to an 8-2 record and the current #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cade Cunningham scored 26 PTS including a few clutch buckets, while Jalen Duren continued his strong start to the season with 21 PTS and 16 REB. With less than a second to go, Tyrese Maxey couldn’t connect on the potential go-ahead jumper, giving Detroit a big road win.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid in the second game of a back-to-back, but that doesn’t diminish the dub for a Pistons team that has officially turned the corner as one of the league’s consistently good teams. After years of mismanagement, the fans in Detroit finally have a winner to root for, and we can’t wait to see where the road takes them.

Hartenstein’s monster game, Shai’s 35 lead OKC to pair of wins

The champs keep rolling, and they’re getting contributions from up and down the lineup. Over the weekend, OKC reached a league-best 10 wins thanks to dubs over the Kings (132-101) and Memphis (114-100).

The Thunder were led by different studs in both matchups: first, Isaiah Hartenstein had the best game of his NBA career, racking up 33 PTS and gobbling up 19 REB, both career-highs. Then, on Sunday, SGA did his thing with a nonchalant 35 PTS on 50% shooting to help OKC overcome a 19-point first-half deficit. Ajay Mitchell also continued his ascending play, adding 21. Of the Thunder’s 10 wins, the last 6 have come by double-digits. Machine-like consistency.

Next up, the reigning champs have a pair of home dates with Western Conference rivals: Golden State comes to town on Tuesday night, while the Lakers make the trek on Wednesday. As far as the Thunder are concerned, keep ‘em coming!

Elsewhere around the NBA:

• De’Aaron Fox wasted no time getting back after it for San Antonio. In his first game returning from a hamstring injury, Fox scored 24 PTS to lead the Spurs to a 126-119 win over New Orleans. Wemby added 18 PTS and 18 REB, while Trey Murphy dropped an efficient 41-piece for the Pels.

• A Buck is a strong animal, but it’s hopeless against the bite of a Durantula. On Sunday, KD’s 31 PTS helped Houston to a 122-115 win over Milwaukee, Houston’s sixth win in their last seven games. Aided by a 22-7 run over the final 4 minutes and 33 seconds, the Rockets overcame a 37-point effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo to escape with the road

• The Subway Series might not be as big a deal in hoops as it is in baseball, but it seems like nobody told the Knicks. New York drubbed city rival Brooklyn 134-98 behind another stellar three-point shooting effort, nailing 17 threes on a 46% clip. KAT led the way, notching 28 PTS and 12 REB in just 28 minutes.

• Golden State may have one of the oldest lineups in NBA history, but that doesn’t mean their older players can’t lock up. The Warriors downed Indiana 114-83 despite missing Steph Curry for the third straight game due to illness. The banged-up Pacers also sat Pascal Siakam in the second game of a back-to-back, but it was still an impressive defensive effort from GSW, who held Indiana to under 35% from the field.

Record Rewind

Teams like the Thunder, Pistons, and Spurs have all come out of the gates hot this season, but each have at least one loss at the season’s 1/8 mark. Let’s take a look back at the most wins to start a season in NBA history, a team that didn’t lose until the campaign was over a quarter through…

The 2016 Golden State Warriors own a number of NBA records, but the most unbreakable may be their historic beginning to the year. On October 27, the reigning champion Dubs raised their banner and opened the season with a 111-95 win over the Pelicans… and then won every game following until December 12. The 24-0 run featured 17 double-digit wins, a 50-point victory over Memphis, and a lethal run of scoring and efficiency from MVP Steph. The run also notably took place under interim coach Bill Walton as Steve Kerr rehabilitated an injury to his back.

When the Warriors finally did fall, it was not an epic battle, but a quiet defeat. After eking out a double-OT win over Boston on December 11, Golden State travelled to Milwaukee where they ultimately lost 108-95 thanks to a 28-point, 11 REB game from Greg Monroe. The Bucks also got a double-double from a 21-year-old Giannis and a combined 54 PTS from OJ Mayo, Jabari Parker, and Michael Carter-Williams.

Golden State bounced back with a 25-point win over Phoenix four days later and went on to finish the regular season without consecutive losses. Their 73 wins remain the most in league history, but that record is just one game more than the 1996 Bulls. The season-opening win streak record? Nine more than second place 15, a feat achieved by the 2025 Cavs, 1994 Rockets, and 1949 Washington Capitals. What a start, what a season!

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, do your best to give yourself a break when you need it. It’s natural to push as hard as you can in whatever you do, but your efforts will be even more fruitful if you get good rest. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan