Game-by-game comparison with the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers

The worst NBA team ever?

It's the Philadelphia 76ers of 1972-73, who started 0-15 and then, at the three-quarters pole, stood 4-58 after a 21-game losing streak.

But an amazing thing happened toward the end of the season: The Sixers got hot, winning five of seven from Valentine's Day to the end of February, suddenly improving to 9-60. Alas, another losing skid followed, leaving the Sixers with 13 straight losses and a final mark of 9-73.

All of this goes to show you that you never know what is around the corner for a team during the long, cruel NBA season. Any team, no matter how bad, can get it going -- and then go for weeks without winning.

So check out how those Sixers compare to the other worst teams in history, game by game, twist by twist, and turn by turn:

2007-08 New Jersey Nets (34-48 Thru 82 Games)
On pace to finish: 34-48
GDATEGAMEREC
1 10/31 Chicago Bulls
W 112-103 (OT)		 1-0
2 11/2 Toronto Raptors
L 69-106		 1-1
3 11/3 @Philadelphia 76ers
W 93-88		 2-1
4 11/6 Atlanta Hawks
W 87-82		 3-1
5 11/8 Washington Wizards
W 87-85		 4-1
6 11/10 Boston Celtics
L 101-112		 4-2
7 11/12 New Orleans Hornets
L 82-84		 4-3
8 11/14 @Boston Celtics
L 69-91		 4-4
9 11/16 Orlando Magic
L 70-95		 4-5
10 11/17 Miami Heat
L 87-91		 4-6
11 11/19 @Utah Jazz
L 75-102		 4-7
12 11/21 @Portland Trail Blazers
W 106-101		 5-7
13 11/23 @Seattle SuperSonics
W 98-93		 6-7
14 11/25 @Los Angeles Lakers
W 102-100		 7-7
15 11/27 Memphis Grizzlies
L 103-110		 7-8
16 12/1 Philadelphia 76ers
W 94-92 (OT)		 8-8
17 12/2 @Detroit Pistons
L 95-118		 8-9
18 12/4 @Cleveland Cavaliers
W 100-79		 9-9
19 12/5 New York Knicks
L 93-100		 9-10
20 12/7 Houston Rockets
L 89-96		 9-11
21 12/9 @Washington Wizards
L 89-104		 9-12
22 12/11 Los Angeles Clippers
L 82-91		 9-13
23 12/14 Cleveland Cavaliers
W 105-97		 10-13
24 12/15 @New York Knicks
L 86-94		 10-14
25 12/18 Sacramento Kings
L 101-106		 10-15
26 12/20 @Miami Heat
W 107-103 (OT)		 11-15
27 12/22 Golden State Warriors
W 100-95		 12-15
28 12/26 Detroit Pistons
L 83-101		 12-16
29 12/28 Washington Wizards
W 109-106		 13-16
30 12/29 @Milwaukee Bucks
W 97-95		 14-16
31 1/2 @Orlando Magic
W 96-95		 15-16
32 1/4 Charlotte Bobcats
W 102-96		 16-16
33 1/5 @Atlanta Hawks
W 113-107		 17-16
34 1/8 @Charlotte Bobcats
L 99-115		 17-17
35 1/9 Seattle SuperSonics
W 99-88		 18-17
36 1/11 Boston Celtics
L 77-86		 18-18
37 1/14 Portland Trail Blazers
L 73-99		 18-19
38 1/16 New York Knicks
L 105-111		 18-20
39 1/19 @Los Angeles Clippers
L 107-120 (OT)		 18-21
40 1/20 @Phoenix Suns
L 92-116		 18-22
41 1/22 @Sacramento Kings
L 94-128		 18-23
42 1/24 @Golden State Warriors
L 119-121		 18-24
43 1/25 @Denver Nuggets
L 85-100		 18-25
44 1/27 @Minnesota Timberwolves
L 95-98		 18-26
45 1/29 Milwaukee Bucks
W 87-80		 19-26
46 2/1 @Miami Heat
W 94-85		 20-26
47 2/2 @Atlanta Hawks
L 92-104		 20-27
48 2/5 Los Angeles Lakers
L 90-105		 20-28
49 2/6 @Orlando Magic
L 84-100		 20-29
50 2/8 @Charlotte Bobcats
W 104-90		 21-29
51 2/10 Dallas Mavericks
W 101-82		 22-29
52 2/12 Minnesota Timberwolves
W 92-88		 23-29
53 2/13 @Toronto Raptors
L 91-109		 23-30
54 2/20 Chicago Bulls
W 110-102 (OT)		 24-30
55 2/22 @Indiana Pacers
L 103-113		 24-31
56 2/23 Indiana Pacers
W 102-91		 25-31
57 2/26 Orlando Magic
L 92-102		 25-32
58 2/28 Milwaukee Bucks
W 120-106		 26-32
59 3/2 San Antonio Spurs
L 83-93		 26-33
60 3/4 @San Antonio Spurs
L 70-81		 26-34
61 3/5 @Memphis Grizzlies
L 93-100		 26-35
62 3/7 @New Orleans Hornets
L 96-107		 26-36
63 3/8 @Dallas Mavericks
L 91-111		 26-37
64 3/10 @Houston Rockets
L 73-91		 26-38
65 3/12 Cleveland Cavaliers
W 104-99		 27-38
66 3/15 Utah Jazz
W 117-115		 28-38
67 3/18 @Chicago Bulls
L 96-112		 28-39
68 3/19 Atlanta Hawks
W 125-117		 29-39
69 3/21 Denver Nuggets
L 114-125		 29-40
70 3/22 @Philadelphia 76ers
L 87-91		 29-41
71 3/24 @New York Knicks
W 106-91		 30-41
72 3/26 Indiana Pacers
W 124-117		 31-41
73 3/28 @Indiana Pacers
L 115-123		 31-42
74 3/29 Phoenix Suns
L 104-110		 31-43
75 4/1 Philadelphia 76ers
L 99-108		 31-44
76 4/4 @Detroit Pistons
L 87-106		 31-45
77 4/5 Toronto Raptors
W 99-90		 32-45
78 4/9 @Cleveland Cavaliers
L 83-104		 32-46
79 4/11 @Toronto Raptors
L 85-113		 32-47
80 4/12 @Milwaukee Bucks
W 111-98		 33-47
81 4/15 Charlotte Bobcats
W 112-108 (OT)		 34-47
82 4/16 @Boston Celtics
L 94-105		 34-48
1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73 Thru 82 Games)
Final Record: 9-73
GDATEGAMEREC
1 10/10 @Chicago Bulls
L 89-95		 0-1
2 10/11 Seattle SuperSonics
L 100-105		 0-2
3 10/13 Buffalo Braves
L 101-104		 0-3
4 10/17 @Buffalo Braves
L 114-122		 0-4
5 10/21 @New York Knicks
L 88-111		 0-5
6 10/23 @Boston Celtics
L 85-105		 0-6
7 10/25 Cleveland Cavaliers
L 108-113		 0-7
8 10/28 Milwaukee Bucks
L 92-96		 0-8
9 10/31 @Cleveland Cavaliers
L 116-126		 0-9
10 11/1 Houston Rockets
L 104-108		 0-10
11 11/3 KC-Omaha Kings
L 101-114		 0-11
12 11/4 @Atlanta Hawks
L 120-128		 0-12
13 11/5 @Milwaukee Bucks
L 113-131		 0-13
14 11/8 @KC-Omaha Kings
L 107-125		 0-14
15 11/10 New York Knicks
L 106-125		 0-15
16 11/11 Houston Rockets
W 114-112		 1-15
17 11/12 @Phoenix Suns
L 108-119		 1-16
18 11/16 @Golden State Warriors
L 106-128		 1-17
19 11/17 @Seattle SuperSonics
L 92-105		 1-18
20 11/19 @Los Angeles Lakers
L 95-135		 1-19
21 11/24 Buffalo Braves
L 96-105		 1-20
22 11/25 Portland Trail Blazers
L 106-117		 1-21
23 11/28 @Buffalo Braves
W 101-94		 2-21
24 11/29 New York Knicks
L 91-139		 2-22
25 12/1 Boston Celtics
L 99-105		 2-23
26 12/2 @Boston Celtics
L 120-131		 2-24
27 12/6 KC-Omaha Kings
W 122-117		 3-24
28 12/7 Phoenix Suns
L 102-117		 3-25
29 12/8 Chicago Stags
L 102-118		 3-26
30 12/9 @New York Knicks
L 109-120		 3-27
31 12/12 @Baltimore Bullets
L 102-123		 3-28
32 12/13 Los Angeles Lakers
L 90-128		 3-29
33 12/16 Buffalo Braves
L 103-126		 3-30
34 12/20 @Detroit Pistons
L 113-141		 3-31
35 12/22 @Houston Rockets
L 103-116		 3-32
36 12/23 Atlanta Hawks
L 112-124		 3-33
37 12/27 Atlanta Hawks
L 120-121		 3-34
38 12/30 Boston Celtics
L 107-117		 3-35
39 1/2 @Buffalo Braves
L 110-114		 3-36
40 1/5 @Portland Trail Blazers
L 102-135		 3-37
41 1/6 @Golden State Warriors
L 79-111		 3-38
42 1/7 @Seattle SuperSonics
W 85-82		 4-38
43 1/9 @Chicago Bulls
L 110-126		 4-39
44 1/10 Los Angeles Lakers
L 96-120		 4-40
45 1/12 Cleveland Cavaliers
L 109-113 (OT)		 4-41
46 1/13 Boston Celtics
L 95-111		 4-42
47 1/15 @KC-Omaha Kings
L 108-135		 4-43
48 1/16 @Milwaukee Bucks
L 92-108		 4-44
49 1/17 Atlanta Hawks
L 105-122		 4-45
50 1/19 Baltimore Bullets
L 94-110		 4-46
51 1/21 @Baltimore Bullets
L 97-108		 4-47
52 1/26 @Cleveland Cavaliers
L 100-105		 4-48
53 1/28 Buffalo Braves
L 96-101		 4-49
54 1/30 @Buffalo Braves
L 104-105		 4-50
55 1/31 Golden State Warriors
L 115-131		 4-51
56 2/2 @Detroit Pistons
L 104-114		 4-52
57 2/3 Boston Celtics
L 100-104		 4-53
58 2/4 @Boston Celtics
L 115-123		 4-54
59 2/6 Houston Rockets
L 117-123		 4-55
60 2/9 @Portland Trail Blazers
L 105-116		 4-56
61 2/10 @Phoenix Suns
L 121-126		 4-57
62 2/11 @Los Angeles Lakers
L 90-108		 4-58
63 2/14 Milwaukee Bucks
W 106-104		 5-58
64 2/16 Detroit Pistons
W 119-106		 6-58
65 2/17 @New York Knicks
L 89-107		 6-59
66 2/18 New York Knicks
W 114-98		 7-59
67 2/23 Houston Rockets
L 116-138		 7-60
68 2/25 Portland Trail Blazers
W 115-111		 8-60
69 2/28 Baltimore Bullets
W 102-96		 9-60
70 3/2 Atlanta Hawks
L 107-130		 9-61
71 3/4 @Atlanta Hawks
L 130-138		 9-62
72 3/7 New York Knicks
L 94-120		 9-63
73 3/9 Chicago Bulls
L 84-104		 9-64
74 3/10 Seattle SuperSonics
L 96-106		 9-65
75 3/11 Golden State Warriors
L 93-97		 9-66
76 3/14 Phoenix Suns
L 114-120		 9-67
77 3/17 Baltimore Bullets
L 115-120		 9-68
78 3/18 @Baltimore Bullets
L 118-129		 9-69
79 3/20 @Cleveland Cavaliers
L 105-131		 9-70
80 3/21 Cleveland Cavaliers
L 109-112		 9-71
81 3/23 Houston Rockets
L 112-132		 9-72
82 3/25 Detroit Pistons
L 96-115		 9-73