Denver Nuggets Rally Past Detroit Pistons to End Losing Streak, Clinch Northwest Title

• The Denver Nuggets defeated the struggling Detroit Pistons on Thursday
• The Nuggets clinched their division with the win against the Pistons
• Nikola Jokic was an assist away from recording another triple-double

The Denver Nuggets finally snapped their four-game losing streak with a 119-100 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Nuggets, who maintained a 4.5-game lead atop the Western Conference standings.

The Nuggets improved to 47-23 with just 12 games remaining on their schedule.

Nikola Jokic nearly recorded another triple-double, scoring 30 points, grabbing ten rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. He also had one steal and one block, per ESPN.

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Denver's starters step up

Jokic was highly efficient against the Pistons, shooting 14 of 18 from the field in 34 minutes.

The backcourt duo of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jamal Murray also contributed, scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively. Forwards Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. also punished the Pistons’ defense, each scoring 15 points.

With the victory, the Nuggets clinched the Northwest Division. They have won the division title three times in the past five seasons.

Pistons tested Nuggets

The win did not come easy, though, for the Nuggets, who found themselves trailing the Pistons late in the third quarter. Denver avoided another embarrassing loss, outscoring Detroit 33-14 in the final quarter to seal the 19-point victory.

The Pistons can take comfort in the fact that they gave the Western Conference leaders a scare in this matchup. Detroit led by as many as seven points in a game that featured 16 lead changes and ten deadlocks.

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Rodney McGruder starred for the Pistons, scoring 20 points. He shot 7 of 15 from the floor, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.

James Wiseman and Jaden Ivey each scored 14 points for the Pistons, who have lost 12 of their last 13 games. They own the worst record in the NBA with an abysmal 16-55 slate.

Raptors rout struggling Nuggets

Sports Brief recently reported on the Nuggets’ loss to the Raptors.

Fred VanVleet scored 36 points to lead Toronto to a 125-110 win.

The Raptors started strongly in that contest, scoring a franchise-record 49 points in the first quarter.