Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Rejoice, Philadelphia! Rejoice!
At least breathe a sigh of relief.
The 76ers used a hot-shooting performance and all-around team effort to avoid setting the record for longest losing streak in major American professional sports.
Thaddeus Young and Michael Carter-Williams each scored 21 points to help the Sixers to a 123-98 rout of the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, snapping their NBA record-tying 26-game losing streak.
"We weren't really worried about the streak," said Young. "We just wanted to play basketball and go out there and just figure a way to win a game."
It was their first win in 59 days since edging Boston on a buzzer-beater 95-94 on Jan. 29.
That was four days before the Super Bowl and nine days before the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics. By the time the streak ended, one team (Florida) had clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament's Final Four.
The Sixers also snapped a franchise-record 18-game home losing streak at the Wells Fargo Center, where they last won Jan. 15 against Charlotte.
The Cleveland Cavaliers set the NBA record with 26 straight losses in 2010-11 -- the last coming to the Pistons. It's tied for the longest losing streak in the four major sports.
The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers also lost 26 straight from Sept. 12, 1976-Dec. 4, 1977.
Henry Sims posted 16 points with seven rebounds and Hollis Thompson added 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc in the win.
"I am pleased with the win tonight," said Sixers coach Brett Brown."That group's staying together. They didn't blink. They stayed together. What we don't boast in resumes and experience, they do have camaraderie and they do put in the work."
Greg Monroe posted a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double in Detroit's 18th loss in its last 22 contests.
Rodney Stuckey tallied 17 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 in the setback.
"We didn't play," said Pistons coach John Loyer. "I call that team (Sixers) a hungry, hard playing team. They were more hungry than we were tonight."
The Sixers outscored the Pistons 9-3 over the final 1:36 of the first quarter to take a 33-23 lead into the second.
During the run, Detroit's Brandon Jennings received two technical fouls and was ejected after adamantly complaining to officials following numerous foul calls throughout the quarter.
Philadelphia held a 10-point edge with over seven minutes left in the second when Young fueled a 9-0 sprint to help the hosts to a 55-38 edge.
Young corralled a Sims miss in the near corner, set his feet and buried a 3- pointer, then made a layup in transition to cap the spurt.
A Caldwell-Pope layup cut the deficit back to 10 with 1 1/2 minutes left until halftime, but Thompson responded with his third 3 of the half and the Sixers ended the period on another 9-0 run to take a 70-51 lead into the break.
Philadelphia shot 24-for-44 (54.5 percent) from the field in the first two quarters and set a season-high for points in a half.
Young's hook shot with just over three minutes left in the third gave the Sixers their largest lead of the season, 90-65.
Philadelphia stretched its lead to as many as 32 in the period and cruised to a rare victory down the stretch.
Game Notes
Philadelphia had lost the previous three matchups against Detroit this season ... The Sixers shot 52.2 from the field and made 12-of-21 3-pointers ... Tony Wroten returned from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury and recorded a game-high nine assists for the Sixers ... Detroit shot 33-for-85 (38.8 percent) from the field.
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