DETROIT (AP) — All-Star Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 10 assists and the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 124-121 on Tuesday night.
All-Star Jalen Duren added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Duncan Robinson scored 20 for the Pistons, who have won five of six, including a 109-107 win in Denver on Jan. 27. They came into the game following a record-setting win on Sunday, beating the Brooklyn Nets 130-77 and setting a franchise mark with a 53-point margin of victory.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 32 points and eight assists while Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 15 rebounds.
The Nuggets never led, but Jokic got them within two possessions, 112-107, with 2:33 to play. After a Detroit miss, Murray's 3-pointer made it a two-point game.
Tobias Harris answered with a 3-pointer on Detroit's next possession, and the teams traded baskets to make it 117-112 with 1:15 left.
Detroit finally got a stop with 33 seconds left and clinched the game from the free-throw line.
Detroit outscored the Nuggets 37-23 in the second quarter to build a 69-50 halftime lead. Cunningham had 17 points and seven assists in the half, while Jokic was held to seven points on 3-for-10 shooting.
The Pistons pulled out to a 20-point lead early in the third, but Denver cut the margin to 93-80 by period's end.
Earlier on Tuesday, Detroit traded guard Jaden Ivey in exchange for Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric in a three-way trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls. Neither Huerter and Saric were available for the game.
Up next
Nuggets: Visit the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Pistons: Host the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.
