HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

WASHINGTON – Quick, who did the New Jersey Nets defeat to end their NBA-record 18 consecutive losses to start the 2009-10 season?

Quick, who did the Detroit Pistons beat to end their eight-game losing to start this season?

Few remember because in the big picture, it’s not that important who they beat. But in the micro-moment, no team wants to lose a winless team after a losing streak reaches eight, nine, 10 games.

That leads to the Portland Trail Blazers who play the 0-12 Washington Wizards tonight at Verizon Center. They don’t want to be that team.

“We definitely we look at that. Everybody’s aware of it,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said Wednesday morning at the team’s shootaround. “Everybody’s looking at them and their record and wondering when they’re going to get their first win. It’s obvious you don’t want to be the team. I feel for (Wizards) Randy (Wittman) and what they’re going through, but we don’t want to be that team.”

The 6-8 Blazers lost 108-101 to the Detroit Pistons Monday, but rookie guard Damian Lillard had his worst game of the season, and forward Nicolas Batum, bothered by a bad cold, had an off night.

The Wizards are coming off a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs (118-92) on Monday and overtime losses to the Charlotte Bobcats (108-106) on Saturday and the Atlanta Hawks (101-100) on Nov. 21.

At home against Portland might be the Wizards’ best chance to get a win with a tough schedule ahead. After the Blazers game, the poor-shooting Wizards play at the New York Knicks on Friday, at home against Miami on Tuesday, at the Hawks on Dec. 7 and at home against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 8. The Knicks, Heat, Hawks and Warriors all have winning records and are a combined 35-17 (.673 winning percentage).

If Washington doesn’t win any of those games, it can match the Nets’ mark for futility to start a season on Dec. 11 at the New Orleans Hornets. If the Wizards lose that game, they can set the record at the Houston Rockets on Dec. 12.

By the way, the Nets, who … [For more on Blazers don't want to be team that Wizards finally beat, click here.]