The Philadelphia 76ers, on the cusp of an all-time NBA record for futility, will meet the Detroit Pistons tonight in an NBA game to WATCH Free Live Streaming Online from the Wells Fargo Center at 7:30 PM ET
The Sixers have lost 26 straight, a winless stretch that has been matched in NBA history only by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Houston's 120-98 win over the Sixers on Thursday night matched the mark, prompting the back page of Friday's Philadelphia Daily News to run with the headline, "The Big SKID MARK."
The 76ers can set the record for NBA ineptitude at home against Detroit on Saturday night.
"I'm not even thinking about it," veteran forward Thaddeus Young told the team's website.
Hope just might be on the way: The Sixers play a Pistons team that is 26-46 and has lost 17 of 21 after Friday night's 110-78 defeat to visiting Miami.
Philadelphia, though, has dropped all three meetings with Detroit this season to fall to 1-6 in the last seven matchups.
The Sixers are closing in on setting the longest losing streak in sports history. According to STATS LLC, the longest streaks in the four major sports are held by: The Cavaliers lost 26 straight from Dec. 20, 2010-Feb. 9, 2011; the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 26 straight from Sept. 12, 1976-Dec. 4 1977; baseball's Philadelphia Phillies lost 23 straight from July 29-Aug. 20, 1961; and the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins lost 18 from Jan. 13-Feb. 22, 2004.
As bad as the season has been in Philly, the Sixers still aren't the worst team in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks are 14-58 and riding an impressive one-game winning streak.
The Sixers can't even count on a home-court edge to help them against Detroit. They have lost 18 straight games at the Wells Fargo Center since beating Charlotte on Jan. 15. So if not the Pistons, then which team will be the unlucky one that loses to Philly?
The Sixers play four straight games against teams with losing records -- Saturday against the Pistons, Monday at Atlanta, Wednesday against Charlotte and April 4 at Boston. Their last win came against the Celtics on the road Jan. 29.
Philadelphia had a few close calls against good and bad teams of late (hanging tough against Chicago, losing by one point to New York) so an upset against other lottery-positioned teams could happen. But three straight road blowouts put a spotlight on the bleak reality the Sixers could end the season on a 36-game losing streak.
The game will be live streamed online at www.nbalivestreamfree.net
