In a thrilling game on Saturday night, the Denver Nuggets claimed a 134-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons, thanks to a standout performance by Nikola Jokic who scored 37 points. Jamal Murray also contributed significantly, netting 34 points with 21 of those coming during a crucial third quarter. Michael Porter Jr. added another 26 points to help bolster the Nuggets’ offense. Denver managed to take control of the game with an impressive 18-4 run that put them ahead for good by halftime, taking a commanding 25-point lead into the final quarter. Murray’s late-game burst included 12 points within the last 2:27 of the third period, marking his first 30-point outing of the season.
Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey led the charge for Detroit, each scoring 17 points. As the game progressed into the fourth quarter, the Nuggets’ starters rested, and the Pistons seized the opportunity to reduce the deficit from 25 points down to 10, prompting Denver’s coach, Michael Malone, to return his starting lineup to the court. Ronald Holland hit a crucial 3-pointer to narrow the lead to 128-121 with just 2:35 remaining, but Jokic stepped up to seal the victory by scoring six consecutive points to stem the Pistons’ momentum.
After a tough road trip, the Pistons finished with mixed results. Despite losing to a motivated Denver team, they had previously secured wins against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings during their four-game stretch away from home.
On the defensive side, the Nuggets improved significantly after a disappointing performance the previous night, where they allowed 149 points against Cleveland. Their defense was notably tighter, holding Detroit to just 61 points by halftime as opposed to the 80 they conceded against the Cavaliers.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Russell Westbrook was called for an offensive foul with 4:44 left in the third quarter, but he quickly drew a foul from Cunningham on the ensuing inbounds play. This energized the Nuggets, and they capitalized with a dominant 22-8 run to finish the quarter strong.
As for statistics, Denver is now holding a perfect 6-0 record in the second game of back-to-backs this season, contrasting with their 2-4 record on the first game.
Looking ahead, the Pistons will kick off a four-game homestand against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, while the Nuggets will head to Utah for their next matchup on Monday night.
