The Detroit Pistons are in reverse and will try to win their first game since Oct. 28 when they travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Thursday.

The Pistons defeated 118-112 to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, setting an NBA record for futility. Detroit became the first NBA team to lose 27 consecutive games in a single season with the defeat.

With another loss, the Pistons would match the franchise record of 28 consecutive losses. The Philadelphia 76ers hold that record thanks to a terrible skid that lasted from 2014-15 to 2015-16.

Detroit lost in Miami to start the season, but then improved to 2-1 with back-to-back triumphs, the first on the road against the Charlotte Hornets and the second at home against the Chicago Bulls. Since then, they have not won.

“When you look at records, you think of coaches, but I’m sure the players don’t want that attached to their name on the jersey,” said Detroit coach Monty Williams. “Heavy? It’s been raining for a while. That’s the nature of a losing streak like this. We have to do all we can to change it.

“It’s probably more on me than anyone else.” The players are giving it their all. I need to get them in a place where they don’t feel constrained or heavy. This is where we are. That is the truth of the issue.”

Cade Cunningham of Detroit clearly had a desire to win, scoring 41 points in Tuesday’s loss. He hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to give the Pistons a 97-92 lead, but the Nets answered with a 13-0 run to take control.

Bojan Bogdanovic added 23 points for the Pistons before fouling out late in the game.

“There’s nothing positive about this situation we put ourselves in,” he remarked. “That’s why we have to dig deep and pull ourselves out of this.” Every day, it weighs on us.”

On Saturday, the Nets also defeated the Pistons. That was Detroit’s 26th consecutive loss, matching the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for the most consecutive losses in a single season.

The Celtics are on a three-game winning streak heading into Thursday’s contest. Boston has won eight of its last nine games and is coming off a four-game road trip that included victories over Sacramento, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I think as a team, we’re really in a groove,” Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics stated. “We had a fantastic road trip….” We’d want to have gone 4-0, but we’ve been playing well. We have so much firepower that it’s difficult to stop us.”

Jayson Tatum is the Celtics’ leading scorer (26.9) and rebounder (8.5). Each of the Celtics’ five starters averages at least 13.1 points per game, and the team is 14-0 at home.

“I say it all the time, we have a really, really good team,” Tatum was quoted as saying. “We all just make things easier on each other.” (Head coach Joe Mazzulla) believes that success will look different for various players on different nights.

“We all make sacrifices to be a better team, a better group.” Hopefully, it will pay off in the end.”