Denver Nuggets vs Detroit Pistons Box Score on Dec 12, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 12, 2017

DETROIT -- Jamal Murray fired in 28 points and reserve Trey Lyles tossed in 20, leading the Denver Nuggets to an easy 103-84 victory over the slumping Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.

Wilson Chandler scored 18 points, while Mason Plumlee supplied 10 points and a season-high 13 rebounds for the Nuggets (15-12), who never trailed. Gary Harris added eight points, six rebounds, nine assists and four steals to the winning cause.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic missed his sixth straight game with a left ankle sprain.

A pair of reserves led the Pistons with season highs in points. Langston Galloway had 18 and Boban Marjanovic contributed 14 points for the Pistons (14-13), who have lost seven straight. The losing streak is Detroit's longest since it dropped 10 straight during February and March 2015.

Tobias Harris was held to no field goals on seven attempts and two points, the first time all season he failed to reach double digits. Detroit's starters shot a combined 10-for-36 from the field, scored just 39 points and were responsible for 16 turnovers.

The Nuggets shot 50.6 percent (40-for-79) from the field, while the Pistons were limited to 35.4 shooting (28-for-79) shooting while committing 20 turnovers. Denver had a 46-30 advantage in points in the paint.

Denver outscored Detroit 31-20 in the third quarter for an 80-60 lead. Murray scored 13 points during the quarter, including seven in the first 1:30.

He capped that outburst with a dunk to give Denver a 12-point advantage. His putback following a Detroit turnover pushed the lead to 16 and his layup moments later made it 66-48. Harris' jumper later in the quarter bumped the lead to 74-52.

The Pistons never got closer than 15 the remainder of the game.

Chandler scored 10 first-half points as the Nuggets led 49-40 at halftime.

Denver led by as many as 12 in the first quarter, in large part because of Detroit's 10 turnovers. Marjanovic gave the Pistons a lift with 11 first-half points but the Nuggets also got bench production from Lyles and Malik Beasley, who scored eight points apiece. Detroit's starters shot 6-for-25 from the field and had 11 turnovers.

NOTES: Nuggets C Nikola Jokic (ankle sprain), who hasn't played during the six-game road trip, could return as early as Wednesday's game at Boston. "He's getting closer. He's definitely moving in the right direction," coach Michael Malone said. "The ankle is still very, very sore but he's moving better. He's managing the pain and whether he's available (Wednesday) night, we'll wait and see." ... Detroit swept last season's two-game series. The clubs meet again in Denver on March 15. ... Pistons C Andre Drummond has 247 double-doubles since the 2012-13 season, tops among Eastern Conference players. ... The Nuggets have already used 10 starting lineups.