Tobias Harris scored 22 points, including two clutch free throws with 2 seconds remaining, as the Detroit Pistons held off a late Denver rally to edge the Nuggets 109-107 on Tuesday night.
Cade Cunningham added 22 points and 11 assists for Detroit, which has won nine of its last 11 games and now holds a 5½-game lead atop the Eastern Conference over Boston.
Jamal Murray had 24 points and 10 assists for Denver but missed two critical free throws in the final seconds. Trailing 107-104, Murray was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 4 seconds left, missed the first attempt, and Harris later converted both of his foul shots to ice the game. Murray’s final free throw with 0.7 seconds remaining also missed.
Jonas Valanciunas returned from a one-game absence to post 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, who had been stranded in Memphis since Sunday after a winter storm postponed their originally scheduled game. Denver played without Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun continued rehabbing injuries.
Detroit led by as many as 18 in the second quarter and held an 11-point advantage early in the fourth before Denver cut the deficit. The Nuggets went on a 7-2 run to get within a basket, and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s 3-pointer brought them to 103-102 with 57 seconds left, but Harris’ late free throws sealed the win.
Up next:
Pistons: At Phoenix on Thursday night
Nuggets: Host Brooklyn on Thursday night
