Several times, they have believed it in recent weeks, with infuriating defeats, and finally, the Pistons will have waited until December 30 to end this historic series of 28 losses in a row. It was complicated, with a success of two small points against the Raptors (129-127), but the main thing is to rediscover this feeling of victory. A first since October 28!
“It’s such a great feeling…” smiles Cade Cunningham. “We kept fighting. It was such a long and difficult series… All these defeats… But I'm happy to be part of a group that doesn't give up. »
Monty Williams had tears in his eyes
To support a great Cunningham, we needed an equally great Jalen Duren (18 points, 17 rebounds). Injured for a long time, the young pivot of the Pistons only experienced part of the ordeal of his teammates, and since his return, things have improved. “ I'm so happy to win this one… We've been working hard for two months to win a match, and we've gone through so many obstacles…”
From an NBA Finals to the worst series in history in two years, Monty Williams says the atmosphere in the locker room. “I've been in a ton of locker rooms in my career, but this is a first for me to feel this type of relief. It's like we're thanking God… The guys were screaming, and I had tears in my eyes. I'm so happy for our guys, and everyone in the locker room. Sometimes all it takes is a win like that to get things going. »
A little note from the owner
Even the owner, Tom Gores, gave his press release! “I’m proud of the way our guys continued to fight through adversity” he writes. “I know it was difficult, but they held their heads high and showed real character. The series is over, but the work continues.”
For Monty Williams, there is no doubt that his players are ready to continue.
“Even though some people thought my guys were okay with losing, they came every day with a great mentality. They wanted answers and they came with the desire to learn and improve. We rarely entered the room with a bad frame of mind. We were always happy, because we knew that if we came together, we could win not one game, but several victories. I have a lot of respect for our players. I'm very happy that we finally won. It's so hard to win in the NBA. »
