List of National Basketball Association longest losing streaks

This is a list of the longest regular season losing streaks in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. Streaks started at the end of one season are carried over into the following season.

The Philadelphia 76ers lost 28 straight games spanning two seasons: 2014–15 and 2015–16, the most consecutive losses in NBA history. The 76ers broke their own previous record of 26 consecutive losses set in the 2013–14 season. The 2013–14 76ers are still tied with the 2010–11 Cleveland Cavaliers for the longest single season losing streak.

The New York Knicks have the record for postseason losing streak. New York lost 13 straight playoff games over 11 seasons. The Sacramento Kings have the largest span of drought, needing 15 seasons to get a playoff win.

There is one active streak of postseason futility. At the end of the 2014–15 season, the Detroit Pistons have lost 10 playoff games in a row.

Key

^ Denotes streaks that spanned over two seasons
Denotes streaks that are currently in progress

Streak

Regular season

Rank Games Team Season(s) Season
record(s)
Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory)
1 28
(10 + 18)
Philadelphia 76ers^ 2014–15
2015–16
18–64
10–72
March 27, 2015 98–119 Los Angeles Clippers December 1, 2015 103–91 Los Angeles Lakers
2 (tie) 26 Cleveland Cavaliers 2010–11 19–63 December 20, 2010 90–101 Utah Jazz February 11, 2011 126–119 Los Angeles Clippers
2 (tie) 26 Philadelphia 76ers 2013–14 19–63 January 31, 2014 99–125 Atlanta Hawks March 29, 2014 123–98 Detroit Pistons
4 24
(19 + 5)
Cleveland Cavaliers^ 1981–82
1982–83
15–67
23–59
March 19, 1982 97–119 Milwaukee Bucks November 10, 1982 132–120 Golden State Warriors
5 (tie) 23 Vancouver Grizzlies 1995–96 15–67 February 16, 1996 100–110 Atlanta Hawks April 3, 1996 105–103 Minnesota Timberwolves
5 (tie) 23 Denver Nuggets 1997–98 11–71 December 9, 1997 83–92 Detroit Pistons January 24, 1998 99–81 Los Angeles Clippers
5 (tie) 23 Charlotte Bobcats 2011–12[A] 7–59 March 19, 2012 80–105 Philadelphia 76ers November 2, 2012 90–89 Indiana Pacers
8 21
(14 + 7)
Detroit Pistons^ 1979–80
1980–81
16–66
21–61
March 7, 1980 105–106 Washington Bullets October 25, 1980 112–109 Houston Rockets
9 (tie) 20 Philadelphia 76ers 1972–73 09–73 January 9, 1973 110–126 Chicago Bulls February 14, 1973 106–104 Milwaukee Bucks
9 (tie) 20
(12 + 8)
New York Knicks^ 1984–85
1985–86
24–58
23–59
March 23, 1985 105–113 Kansas City Kings November 12, 1985 103–93 Phoenix Suns
9 (tie) 20 Dallas Mavericks 1993–94 13–69 November 13, 1993 100–101 Utah Jazz December 23, 1993 93–89 Minnesota Timberwolves
9 (tie) 20
(4 + 16)
Los Angeles Clippers^ 1993–94
1994–95
27–55
17–65
April 18, 1994 131–134 Golden State Warriors December 7, 1994 96–94 Milwaukee Bucks
13 (tie) 19
(4 + 15)
Philadelphia 76ers^ 1971–72
1972–73
30–52
9–73
March 21, 1972 111–117 Atlanta Hawks November 11, 1972 114–112 Houston Rockets
13 (tie) 19 San Diego Clippers 1981–82 17–65 March 11, 1982 107–113 Kansas City Kings April 15, 1982 129–123 Portland Trail Blazers
13 (tie) 19 Los Angeles Clippers 1988–89 21–61 December 30, 1988 109–124 Los Angeles Lakers February 8, 1989 114–111 Houston Rockets
13 (tie) 19 Dallas Mavericks 1992–93 11–71 February 6, 1993 93–111 Denver Nuggets March 17, 1993 102–96 Orlando Magic
13 (tie) 19 Vancouver Grizzlies 1995–96 15–67 November 7, 1995 88–99 Dallas Mavericks December 15, 1995 104–100 Portland Trail Blazers
13 (tie) 19 Orlando Magic 2003–04 21–61 October 30, 2003 98–100 New Orleans Hornets December 8, 2003 105–98 Phoenix Suns
13 (tie) 19
(1 + 18)
New Jersey Nets^ 2008–09
2009–10
34–48
12–70
April 15, 2009 73–102 New York Knicks December 4, 2009 97–91 Charlotte Bobcats
20 (tie) 18 Utah Jazz 1981–82 25–57 February 24, 1982 90–132 Boston Celtics April 2, 1982 127–118 Kansas City Kings
20 (tie) 18 Boston Celtics 2006–07 24–58 January 7, 2007 79–87 Orlando Magic February 14, 2007 117–97 Milwaukee Bucks
20 (tie) 18
(15 + 3)
Minnesota Timberwolves^ 2010–11
2011–12
17–65
26–40
March 13, 2011 77–100 Golden State Warriors January 1, 2012 99–82 Dallas Mavericks
20 (tie) 18 Charlotte Bobcats 2012–13 21–61 November 26, 2012 69–114 Oklahoma City Thunder December 31, 2012 91–81 Chicago Bulls
24 (tie) 17 San Francisco Warriors 1964–65 17–63 December 20, 1964 111–113 Philadelphia 76ers January 28, 1965 105–90 Cincinnati Royals
24 (tie) 17 San Diego Rockets 1967–68 15–67 January 18, 1968 126–129 Cincinnati Royals February 18, 1968 111–106 Philadelphia 76ers
24 (tie) 17 Miami Heat 1988–89 15–67 November 5, 1988 91–111 Los Angeles Clippers December 14, 1988 89–88 Los Angeles Clippers
24 (tie) 17 Orlando Magic 1991–92 21–61 December 4, 1991 115–124 Portland Trail Blazers January 8, 1992 104–103 Seattle SuperSonics
24 (tie) 17 Dallas Mavericks 1993–94 13–69 February 26, 1994 99–110 Cleveland Cavaliers April 5, 1994 88–80 Sacramento Kings
24 (tie) 17 Toronto Raptors 1997–98 16–66 November 6, 1997 92–109 Seattle SuperSonics December 10, 1997 104–97 Philadelphia 76ers
24 (tie) 17 Los Angeles Clippers 1998–99 09–41 February 5, 1999 92–101 Phoenix Suns March 11, 1999 106–92 Sacramento Kings
24 (tie) 17 Los Angeles Clippers 1999–00 15–67 March 15, 2000 78–98 Sacramento Kings April 19, 2000 114–106 Seattle SuperSonics
24 (tie) 17 Philadelphia 76ers 2014–15 18–64 October 29, 2014 91–103 Indiana Pacers December 3, 2014 85–77 Minnesota Timberwolves
  • A Streak carried over into the following season, but it was broken with a win on the first game of the season.

Playoffs

This list contains only streaks consisting entirely of postseason games.

Rank Games Team Season
started
Season
ended
Number
of years
Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory)
1 13 New York Knicks 2000–01 2011–12 11 May 2, 2001 93–100 Toronto Raptors May 6, 2012 89–87 Miami Heat
2 (tie) 12 Memphis Grizzlies 2003–04 2010–11 7 April 17, 2004 74–98 San Antonio Spurs April 17, 2011 101–98 San Antonio Spurs
2 (tie) 12 Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets 2001–02[B] 2015–16 14 May 12, 2002 79–89 New Jersey Nets April 23, 2016 96–80 Miami Heat
4 (tie) 11 Baltimore Bullets 1964–65 1969–70 5 April 11, 1965 112–120 Los Angeles Lakers March 29, 1970 127–113 New York Knicks
4 (tie) 11 Denver Nuggets 1987–88 1993–94 6 May 15, 1988 103–124 Dallas Mavericks May 2, 1994 110–93 Seattle SuperSonics
6 (tie) 10 Kansas City/
Sacramento Kings
1980–81 1995–96 15 April 24, 1981 88–92 Houston Rockets April 28, 1996 90–81 Seattle SuperSonics
6 (tie) 10 New Jersey Nets 1983–84 1991–92 8 May 8, 1984 82–94 Milwaukee Bucks April 28, 1992 109–104 Cleveland Cavaliers
6 (tie) 10 Portland Trail Blazers 1999–00 2002–03 3 June 4, 2000 84–89 Los Angeles Lakers April 27, 2003 98–79 Dallas Mavericks
6 (tie) 10 Detroit Pistons 2007–08 active May 28, 2008 102–106 Boston Celtics
10 (tie) 9 New York Knicks 1952–53 1954–55 2 April 5, 1953 71–73 Minneapolis Lakers March 16, 1955 102–95 Boston Celtics
10 (tie) 9 Milwaukee Bucks 2009–10 2014–15 5 April 30, 2010 69–83 Atlanta Hawks April 25, 2015 92–90 Chicago Bulls
  • B Final season of the original Charlotte Hornets. Later moved to New Orleans and renamed the Pelicans. As part of a deal with the NBA and the Pelicans, the renamed Hornets, formerly the Charlotte Bobcats, reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Hornets, while all of the Hornets' records during their time in New Orleans from 2002 to 2013 remained with the Pelicans.[1]

References

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