Jamal Murray Scores 28, Nuggets Rout Slumping Pistons
By DAVE HOGG/Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) - Jamal Murray scored 28 points, and the Denver Nuggets handed the Detroit Pistons their seventh straight loss, posting a 103-84 victory on Tuesday night.
Trey Lyles added 20 points for Denver. Wilson Chandler scored 18 points, and Mason Plumlee had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Reserves Langston Galloway (18 points) and Boban Marjanovic (14) led the Pistons in scoring. Reggie Jackson was the only Detroit starter to reach double figures with 12 points.
Detroit turned the ball over eight times in the game's first nine minutes, and was down 12 points as a result. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy went to his bench early, and Marjanovic started a rally with his post offense.
The Denver lead was down to 33-30 when Andre Drummond returned to the floor, but Van Gundy went back to Marjanovic after the Nuggets went back up 44-36 late in the half. Drummond finished with just five points in 27 minutes.
The Nuggets led 49-40 at halftime, outshooting Detroit 48.7 percent to 33.3 percent. The Pistons starters, who shot 26 percent (13-for-50) in Sunday's loss to the Boston Celtics, hit 24 percent (6-for-25) with 11 turnovers in the first half against Denver.
Denver kept up in the pace on both ends of the floor in the third quarter, taking a 72-52 lead late in the period. They led 80-60 going into the fourth and were never seriously threatened.
TIP INS
Nuggets: C Nikola Jokic (ankle) and F Paul Millsap (wrist) both missed the game. Nuggets coach Mike Malone said Jokic has a chance of playing Wednesday against the Boston Celtics.
Pistons: Reggie Bullock started at small forward, with Stanley Johnson being demoted to deep in the rotation. Johnson didn't enter the game until the Pistons were down by 22 in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Boston on Wednesday for the second half of a back-to-back.
Pistons: At Atlanta on Thursday for the first game of a road back-to-back.
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