The Denver Nuggets defeated the Detroit Pistons, 104-91, at Little Caesar's Arena on Friday.

The Nuggets (47-24) didn't have problems securing the win Friday in a game where they had to use a big second half to pull away from their rivals, the Pistons (20-51). Denver raced out to a 29-25 lead in the first quarter and looked in complete control of the contest, but the Pistons responded with a 28-28 tie in the second quarter that made things tighter than expected. The Nuggets would pull away for good in the third quarter, though, outscoring Detroit by a 30-21 score, and the game was essentially over since then. The final quarter ended with a 17-17 tie, but it was too late for the Pistons to mount a comeback as the Nuggets sealed the victory with relative ease.

Nikola Jokic carried the Nuggets in this win and posted a triple-double, as he finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, while Markus Howard also delivered 20 points. Vlatko Cancar notched 11 points, while Monte Morris recorded 15 points coming off the bench. No other Denver player scored in double digits in this one, with Michael Porter Jr. posting nine points (3-11 FG) and Austin Rivers adding eight points in another start.

Six of Detroit's eight players scored in double digits in this game, with Hamidou Diallo leading the way with an 18-point performance that also included 12 rebounds and Tyler Cook ending with 17 points and five rebounds off the bench. Saddiq Bey had 14 points, Jahill Okafor added 13 points, and Josh Jackson notched 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.