Nuggets vs. Pistons: 5 Key Takeaways from Denver's Loss in a Potential Finals Preview
Another potential NBA Finals preview against the Pistons came down to Jamal Murray at the free-throw line. The Nuggets had largely erased the best team in the Eastern Conference's 20-point lead in the final 10 seconds when Murray was instructed to miss his final free throw, hoping the Nuggets could grab the offensive rebound and create a look at a game-tying 3. Things didn’t go Denver's way for a second time against Detroit, as Jalen Duren grabbed the rebound to secure a sweep of the Nuggets at Little Caesars Arena.
Here are five key takeaways from Denver's 124-121 loss in Detroit:
The Western Conference's Top Teams Are Dominant, But the Pistons Can Compete: The Western Conference is undeniably better at the top and deeper than the Eastern Conference, but the Pistons can win it all. Detroit's physicality and defensive intensity will pair perfectly with playoff basketball, though they'll have to overcome a lack of playoff experience to take down the other tier-one contenders. The Pistons held off the Nuggets despite Denver's 43 free-throw attempts, thanks to Cade Cunningham's 29 points and 10 assists and Jalen Duren's 19-point, 13-rebound double-double. It's going to be even harder to beat Detroit on nights when more physicality is allowed.
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The Nuggets Are Getting Healthier: Christian Braun made his return, joining the starting lineup alongside Jamal Murray, Jalen Pickett, Peyton Watson, and Jokic. Braun played more than 25 minutes in his first action since Jan. 9 but wasn’t terribly productive. He scored six points on as many shots with his only other statistical contribution being a pair of assists. Braun’s availability for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks will be telling.
The Nuggets Make a Strategic Move: With Braun back, the Nuggets made the decision to make Spencer Jones inactive. Jones can only play one more game on his two-way contract. It makes the most sense for Denver to see how the trade deadline plays out before converting Jones to a standard contract that would allow him to play for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. Having Jones play against the Knicks makes a lot more sense if Braun, Jokic, or any others are unavailable on the second night of Denver’s back-to-back set.
Western Conference Trades and Shifts: Speaking of the trades, a couple of Western Conference foes shook things up two days before the deadline. The Clippers, one of the hottest teams in the NBA, shipped James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. Garland is easier to deal with on a night-to-night basis, but Harden’s playoff struggles can’t be ignored. Earlier Tuesday, the Jazz made a move to speed up their rebuild with the Grizzlies, who appear ready to tear things down and start over. Memphis shipped Jaren Jackson Jr., Jock Landale, John Konchar, and Vince Williams Jr. to the Jazz for rookie Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, George Niang, and three first-round picks. More dominoes are sure to fall in the next two days. A small move to duck the luxury tax still feels like Denver’s most likely outcome.
PISTONS 124, NUGGETS 121
What happened: Detroit led by five after the first quarter and extended the advantage to 69-50 at halftime. Denver closed within 13 to start the fourth but dropped to 33-18 after dropping consecutive games for the fourth time this season.
What went right: The Nuggets got big contributions from three players off the bench. Julian Strawther led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas added 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Bruce Brown scored 10 points on five shots.
What went wrong: Denver went 10 of 30 from 3 on a night it largely struggled to create easy offense. The Pistons finished with a 26-9 advantage in fast-break points and a 20-10 edge in points off turnovers.
Highlight of the night: Peyton Watson threw down dunks on consecutive possessions early in the third. The first came in transition off a Jalen Pickett assist. The second was an alley-oop finish off a Jamal Murray pass.
Up next: The Nuggets quickly boarded a flight for New York ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Knicks.
