The Nuggets ensured they wouldn’t have another surprise setback against the Pistons with a straightforward 115-98 win at Pepsi Center Tuesday.
Three weeks ago, the Nuggets were stunned by the Pistons in Detroit, suffering a 128-123 overtime loss after leading by as many as 21 points. On Tuesday, Denver was relentless from tip-off and never looked back after taking a double-digit lead into halftime.
Jerami Grant led the Denver with a career-high 29 points along with five boards, sparking a dominant performance by the home team’s reserve unit. Detroit was paced by Derrick Rose, who had 20 points and five assists.
“Jerami gets you 29 [points] and five [rebounds]…I just rode him that whole second half,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone. “He was terrific.”
The Nuggets asserted themselves early thanks to Jamal Murray. The newly-turned 23-year-old had a sizzling start, hitting his first three buckets and pouring in nine points and three assists in the opening 12 minutes. The Nuggets would take a six-point advantage into the second quarter and would continue building momentum ahead of halftime.
Denver’s dominance would continue after the break. At the 8:19 mark of the third quarter, Paul Millsap would push the team’s lead to 15, slamming the ball off an assist from Murray. Detroit would cut the deficit to just 10 entering the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets would ice the contest in the final 12 minutes. The Nuggets secured their 40th win of the season, the quickest the team has reached that milestone in the franchise’s NBA history.
“I think sometimes you have to stop along the way and understand where you’re are at and what you’re accomplishing,” Malone said. “[We’re] only one of a few teams in the league that have 40 wins right now. So, I’m proud of our guys for getting these two home wins before going to LA [to face the Clippers].”
Grant would pour in 14 points in the fourth quarter and spark the team’s 10-3 run early in the quarter. The team would pad the lead to 20 and secure their second consecutive win.