Pacers rebound from in-season tourney final loss, send Pistons to 20th straight defeat

DETROIT: Bennedict Mathurin scored 30 points and the Indiana Pacers handed the Detroit Pistons their 20th straight loss, 131-123 on Monday night.

Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 16 assists for Indiana in their first game since Saturday’s 123-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament final. Miles Turner added 23 points.

Detroit’s losing streak is the longest single-season stretch in franchise history and matches the NBA’s longest since the Houston Rockets lost 20 straight in 2020-21. Detroit lost 21 straight between the end of the 1979-80 season and the start of 1980-81.

The Philadelphia 76ers hold both NBA records, setting the single-season mark at 26 in a row in 2013-14 and the overall mark at 28 at the end of 2015-16 and start of 2016-17.

Cade Cunningham scored 23 points and Ausar Thompson had 20 for the Pistons, who have dropped 44 of their last 48 games dating to last season’s trading deadline.

ROCKETS 93 SPURS 82

Tari Eason had a season-high 18 points and 14 rebounds off the bench as Houston dealt San Antonio its franchise-record 17th consecutive loss.

Top overall pick Victor Wembanyama had 15 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks, along with an overpowering dunk over Houston’s Alperen Sengun in the third period, but it wasn’t enough to get the Spurs back in the win column.

San Antonio have not won since a 132-121 victory over Phoenix on Nov. 2.

The Rockets won their 10th straight home game and third in a row overall.

Fred VanVleet added 16 points and Sengun had 15 for the Rockets.

San Antonio shot 5 of 41 (12 percent) from 3-point distance. Keldon Johnson missed all nine of his long distance shots and Devin Vassell went 1 for 9.

76ERS 146 WIZARDS 101

Tyrese Maxey made three