With a playoff spot already protected, the Denver Nuggets are in search of momentum.
The Nuggets got the win Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center, 95-92 over the Detroit Pistons, but any momentum might prove elusive.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray slammed the door closed on Detroit’s magnificent fourth-quarter comeback attempt with several timely buckets and one emphatic dunk. The Pistons, who trailed by 19 points in the fourth quarter and 27 at halftime, got within 93-92 before Murray sunk two clutch free throws with the game on the line.
The Pistons’ Blake Griffin missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied it.
“More inconsistent basketball,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “That first half, we were great, up 27 at halftime, which ’s kind of been our M.O. lately. I never know which team will be out there from quarter to quarter. ”
Regardless of the near collapse, the Nuggets reached the 50-win mark for the first time since the 2012-13 season, which was also the last time they made it into the postseason. The victory moved them into a tie with Golden State for first place in the Western Conference and bolstered their hold on no worse than the No. 2 seed.
Murray had four of his 33 points on two clutch running floaters since the Pistons were closing in. Jokic staved off the collapse with a momentum-swinging dunk of his own down the stretch. He finished with 23 points and 15 boards. Denver needed all of them after scoring only 29 points in the second half.
The Nuggets, perhaps buoyed by their enormous 27-point lead at half, had a few shaky moments in the third quarter as the Pistons momentarily trimmed the deficit to 15. Griffin hit two 3-pointers and dominated inside for 16 points while the Nuggets’ offense grew stagnant and predictable. Murray buried a triple from the top of the arc to finish the quarter and restore a seemingly comfortable 81-62 lead.
Coming on the heels of a humbling 36-point loss to Indiana, Tuesday’s response was an encouraging sight, at least throughout the first three quarters.
“Consistency must be there, and we want some full 48-minute games in these last 10,” said Mason Plumlee, who had several rim-rattling alley-oops Tuesday night. “It’s a sprint at this time. A great deal of people say the season is a marathon. It’s not a marathon anymore. ”
Of the Nuggets’ last nine games, seven will come against present playoff opponents.
It was also reassuring to see Denver match Detroit’s intensity in the first half since the latter entered fighting for its postseason life.
“My expectation is that our guys will come out and play a spirited brand of basketball that is more reflective of who we want to be and who we need to be moving into the postseason,” Malone said before the game. “We don’t want to be in search style entering the postseason. That’s an awful place to be. ”
The Nuggets have the No. 2 seed relatively stable, but Malone probably won’t start resting men until home- court advantage — for as many rounds as possible — gets locked up.
The Pistons played the first half just like they had been on the tail end of a five-game road trip. The Nuggets, on the other hand, looked eager to make a point and stormed into a 66-39 lead.
Murray and Jokic combined for 42 points, both outscoring the Pistons independently. Murray hit two 3-pointers en route to a sizzling 24 points within the first two quarters while Jokic finished off the first half with a feel-good, baseline buzzer beater.
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All in all, the team looked spry and energized.
The Nuggets roared out to 27-9 lead after the first, which marked a season low for points allowed. Detroit couldn’t buy a bucket and managed to make just 4-of-29 from the field. Griffin, by far their leading scorer, was awful from inside and made only 1-of-11 shots.
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