Pistons rally to beat Nuggets 128-123 in OT, snap skid
DETROIT (AP) — Andre Drummond had 21 points and 17 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons rallied from an early 21-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 128-123 in overtime Sunday, snapping their five-game losing streak.
Reggie Jackson added 20 points and Bruce Brown scored 19 for Detroit. Drummond put the Pistons ahead to stay with a dunk early in overtime, and Brown added a 3-pointer that made it 116-112.
Drummond fouled out with 2:43 left, but Detroit was able to hold on.
Nikola Jokic had 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for Denver. His 3-pointer with 29.4 seconds left made it 126-123, but Thon Maker answered with an alley-oop dunk at the other end to push the lead to five.
The Nuggets were playing for the third time in four days, and the 12:30 p.m. start time — 10:30 a.m. back in Denver — made for another potential challenge. The Nuggets looked just fine at the outset, making 16 of their first 20 shots from the field. They led 28-7 and 31-10, and it was 44-30 at the end of the first quarter.
Detroit rallied in the second, tying the game with a 21-8 run and eventually taking a 68-65 lead into halftime. It was tight down the stretch. Jackson missed a runner in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied at 111.
Rookie forward Michael Porter Jr. joined the list of injured Denver players, missing the game because of a right ankle problem. The Nuggets are also without Paul Millsap (left knee), Jamal Murray (left ankle) and Mason Plumlee (right foot).
SNAPPED
Derrick Rose’s steak of 14 straight games with at least 20 points ended when the Detroit guard left with a left groin issue. Rose finished with two points in 12:52.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Denver had its highest-scoring first quarter of the season, and the 44 points equaled the team’s highest total in any quarter.
Pistons: Luke Kennard (knee) missed the game. … Tony Snell surpassed 600 3-pointers for his career.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host Portland on Tuesday night.
Pistons: At Memphis on Monday night.
