National Basketball Association
Denver 134, Detroit 119
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 28, 2025
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Officials: #27 Mitchell Ervin, #9 Natalie Sago, #24 Kevin Scott
Attendance: 20062

Jamal Murray poured in 31 points as the visiting Denver Nuggets snapped Detroit's eight-game winning streak with a 134-119 victory over the Pistons on Friday night.

Michael Porter Jr. supplied 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Nikola Jokic amassed 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists -- his NBA-leading 28th triple-double of the season. Christian Braun contributed 23 points for Denver, which won for the 11th time in 13 games.

The Nuggets bounced back from a 121-112 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

Malik Beasley led Detroit with 16 points but shot 6-for-18 from the field. Ausar Thompson had 13 points, five assists and five steals, while Tobias Harris and Simone Fontecchio tossed in 12 points apiece. All-Star Cade Cunningham was held to 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

The Pistons had not lost since falling to the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 118-115 on Feb. 5.

Denver starting forward Aaron Gordon missed the game due to a left ankle injury. However, the Nuggets thrived without him, shooting 56 percent from the field and making 17 of 31 3-point attempts (54.8 percent).

The Pistons shot 45.5 percent from the field, 12 of 37 from long range (32.4 percent).

Consecutive 3-pointers from Porter and Murray early in the third quarter gave the Nuggets a 78-68 advantage. After a Thompson dunk made it 80-72, the Nuggets went on a 15-0 run.

Braun got the surge going with a layup off a Jokic feed, and Murray scored five points during the streak.

Jokic's hook shot with 2:50 left in the quarter increased Denver's lead to 25 points. The quarter ended with Denver up 107-87.

Detroit couldn't mount a comeback in the fourth.

The Nuggets went on a 25-3 run in the first quarter to take an 18-point lead. With Beasley scoring 11 points, the Pistons cut the deficit to 39-31 by the end of the quarter.

Detroit scored the first five points of the second to pull within three. The Nuggets led 68-63 at halftime, led by Braun's 16 points and Porter's 15. Beasley topped the Pistons with 13 points prior to the break, and Tim Hardaway Jr. tossed in 10.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Denver   Detroit
Jamal Murray 31 Scoring Malik Beasley 16
Nikola Jokic 15 Assists Dennis Schroder 7
Nikola Jokic 17 Rebounds Jalen Duren 8
Nikola Jokic 11 Free Throws Made Cade Cunningham 5
Jamal Murray 2 Steals Ausar Thompson 5
Zeke Nnaji 3 Blocks Isaiah Stewart 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Denver 134 56.0 17-31 23-31 28 50 8 5 20
Detroit 119 45.5 12-37 17-23 32 42 3 15 11
Upcoming Games
  • Detroit will play their next game at home against Brooklyn. The Pistons have a W/L % of .529 after a win and .577 after a loss.
  • Denver will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .615 after a win and .714 after a loss.