DENVER — This time, it wasn’t the third quarter that did the Pistons in, as has happened so many times this season. The third quarter wasn’t good, as the Denver Nuggets used a 16-point advantage to pull ahead.
Instead of folding, the Pistons had a bounce-back fourth quarter, and they erased the deficit, tying the game in the final two minutes.
The Nuggets pulled away behind MVP Nikola Jokic, taking a 117-111 victory on Sunday night at Ball Arena.
The Pistons finished their four-game road trip at 1-3, with encouraging comebacks in the last two games. They get a rematch with the Nuggets on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Cade Cunningham had 18 points, five rebounds and eight assists and Isaiah Stewart 18 points, on 8-of-8 shooting. Cory Joseph added 18 points and six assists and Trey Lyles 18 points and five rebounds for the Pistons (11-35).
The Pistons trailed, 92-76, entering the fourth quarter and started the period with a 14-5 run, with a pair of three-point plays by Lyles and a 3-pointer by Killian Hayes (eight points and five assists), who returned from a hip contusion after missing two games.
The Nuggets kept the lead until the final two-plus minutes, with a 3-pointer by Bey and a leaner by Joseph to tie it at 109 at the 1:45 mark.
Jokic (34 points, nine rebounds and eight assists) scored on a putback and Joseph answered with another lay-in to tie it. Jokic hit four free throws and the Pistons had two turnovers and never scored again.
