Pistons run out of gas in 119-100 loss against playoff-bound Nuggets

Detroit News

Detroit − The Pistons hosted a Denver Nuggets team that was motivated to leave Little Caesars Arena with a victory for three reasons.

The Nuggets ranked first in the Western Conference and were on a four-game losing skid, so they desperately needed a win. A victory would secure a playoff berth for Denver, which would make them the second team in the NBA to do so after the Milwaukee Bucks accomplished the feat on Wednesday.

Lastly, there was a revenge factor in play as the Pistons beat the Nuggets on their home floor on Nov. 22.

The storylines were there, but once the ball was tipped, you couldn’t tell that the lowly-Pistons were facing a championship contender. However, a back-and-forth game with 16 lead changes and 10 ties allowed the Nuggets to create distance in the fourth quarter by scoring 10 straight points to take a five-point lead.

Led by MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic, who finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, the Nuggets held on for a 119-100 win over the Pistons.

Detroit dropped to 16-55 and finished the season series tied with one win apiece against the Nuggets. Denver improved to 47-23, and clinched their playoff spot against a team that got the upper-hand over them earlier this season.

BOX SCORE: Nuggets 119, Pistons 100

Former Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 20 points on 4-of-7 from the 3-point line. Jamal Murray added 19 points, six rebounds and 10 assists.

McGruder totaled a season-high 20 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-10 from the perimeter. He was one of seven Pistons players in double-figures, including Jalen Duren (15), Jaden Ivey (14), James Wiseman (14), Cory Joseph (13), Eugene Omoruyi (11) and Killian Hayes (10).

Thursday also marked the first official day of the NCAA Tournament, and the Pistons nearly pulled off the upset over the Nuggets, but they’ll have to wait until the Miami Heat come to town on Sunday.

Wiseman-Duren rotation: Pistons coach Dwane Casey finally played Duren and Wiseman together for a significant period during the third quarter. As Detroit’s two primary centers, the first question posed is who would play on the perimeter? Wiseman was the obvious choice but, but both bigs found themselves inside the paint on several occasions. There were obvious spacing issues, but the potential of the lineup was at its best when Duren found Wiseman for a pair of lobs, which the 7-footer gracefully threw down. It’s unclear how much the duo will play together or how effective it will be going forward, but Pistons fans were able to get a sample size of their two young bigs on Thursday.

McGruder’s hot start: McGruder’s shooting is what makes him valuable to the Pistons, but his effort and readiness is what helps keep him productive. The veteran guard helped the Pistons build a six-point halftime lead by knocking down perimeter shots and rebounding. McGruder connected on four 3-pointers in the first half, but his intensity was epitomized in one play as he hustled to the glass for an offensive rebound over Jokic.

Ivey returns: Pistons coach Dwane Casey said during his pregame press conference that he didn’t expect Ivey to receive “big minutes,” considering he was coming off the league’s health and safety protocols. That theory appeared true as the rookie guard started and played in small chunks, but remained on the court longer as the game progressed. Ivey looked fatigued early in the game and missed his first four shots. He got to the free-throw line three times in the first half and split his attempts on each trip. However, Duren came away with a steal midway through the second quarter and Ivey was able to get a breakaway dunk. After a slow start, Ivey eventually regained his footing and finished with 14 points and six assists in a hefty 35 minutes.

The Denver Pistons? The Nuggets had four former Pistons in their lineup: Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Ish Smith and Reggie Jackson, who was just acquired from the L.A. Clippers at the trade deadline. Caldwell-Pope and Brown made their mark on their former team, starting in the second quarter. Caldwell-Pope, one of the league’s top 3-point shooters, nailed back-to-back triples to give the Nuggets an eight-point lead. He was the Nuggets’ second-leading scorer. Brown terrorized the Pistons on the defensive end as he came away with three steals and two blocks. Jackson and Smith did not play on Thursday.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @MikeACurtis2

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