Nikola Jokic Leads Denver Nuggets to Victory Over Detroit Pistons
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The Denver Nuggets ended the Detroit Pistons' eight-game winning streak with a 134-119 win on Friday night, thanks to a triple-double performance from Nikola Jokic. Jokic had 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 15 assists, while Jamal Murray scored 31 points for the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. added 28 points, and Christian Braun matched Jokic with 23 points for Denver, which has won 11 of its last 13 games.
The Pistons were led by Malik Beasley, who had 16 points as the team's sixth man, but the starters were outscored 113-54. Cade Cunningham finished with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and only had five assists and three rebounds. The Nuggets led 107-87 going into the fourth quarter, and Detroit never made a significant run, although they cut the deficit from 25 to 15 in garbage time. The Nuggets scored 39 points in the first quarter and 39 again in the third, as they scored 134 against Detroit for the second time this season.
The key moment in the game came when Denver started the third quarter with a 27-9 run, with Murray scoring 12 points and Jokic having four assists and six rebounds. The Nuggets shot 71.4% (10 for 14) during the run, while Detroit was at 21.4% (3 for 14). Despite going 1 for 5 from the floor, Jokic had 10 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the first half, making eight of nine free throws and drawing enough whistles to put Pistons centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart on the bench with foul trouble. The Nuggets' offense was on fire, and their defense was able to contain the Pistons' offense.
Here are the match scores and player statistics:
- Nuggets: 134
- Pistons: 119
- Nikola Jokic: 23 points, 17 rebounds, 15 assists
- Jamal Murray: 31 points
- Michael Porter Jr.: 28 points
- Christian Braun: 23 points
- Malik Beasley: 16 points
- Cade Cunningham: 11 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds
The Denver Nuggets face off with the hottest team in the league, the Detroit Pistons, on Friday. The injury report for the game in Detroit includes:
- Denver: Trey Alexander — OUT (G League Two-Way Assignment), Vlatko Čančar — OUT (Left Knee Surgery Rehabilitation), Aaron Gordon — QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle Sprain), DaRon Holmes II — OUT (Right Achilles Tendon), PJ Hall — OUT (G League Two-Way Assignment), Jamal Murray — PROBABLE (Left Knee Inflammation), Peyton Watson — OUT (Right Knee Sprain)
- Detroit: Simone Fontecchio — PROBABLE (Right Finger Dislocation), Ron Harper Jr. — OUT (G League Two-Way Assignment), Jaden Ivey — OUT (Left Fibula Fracture), Dennis Schröder — PROBABLE (Left Ankle Sprain), Tolu Smith — OUT (G League Two-Way Assignment)
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