Detroit Pistons out of gas in 134-121 road loss to Denver Nuggets

On December 29, 2024By Littum

DENVER – A sluggish third quarter doomed the Detroit Pistons at the end of a road trip Saturday.

They were outscored by the Denver Nuggets 47-28 in the period, en route to a 134-121 defeat. The Pistons, after winning the first three games of a four-game Western swing, lost steam toward the end of the second quarter and trailed by 25, 114-89, at the end of the third.

A rally ensued in the fourth, with the Pistons cutting the deficit to seven (128-121) with over two minutes remaining with their second unit (Marcus Sasser, Wendell Moore Jr., Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson and Paul Reed), but they could not close it out. Cade Cunningham finished with 17 points and eight assists, and Jaden Ivey also scored 17. Nikola Jokic led all players with 37 points and Jamal Murray added 34.

The Nuggets torched the Pistons’ defense, shooting 56.1% overall and 48.1% from 3. The Pistons (14-18) next return to action in 2025 when they host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena .

Malik Beasley leads by 3 points

Beasley has been a transformational veteran for the Pistons this season, performing on the floor as arguably their best shooter in years while lifting the spirits of his teammates. He got off to a strong start Saturday, knocking down three of his first five 3-point attempts to take the lead in 3-pointers made this season.

Beasley has now made 126 this season, slightly more than Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards (125). It continues what has been a historic season for the 28-year-old wing, who already has the most 3s of any player in franchise history through 32 games and is on pace for 323, which would easily surpass Saddiq Bey’s single-season franchise mark . record 211 3s, set in 2021-22.

He has been among the best bench players in the league, shooting 41.8% from 3 on elite volume, and is fourth on the team in minutes per game. game (28.5) despite entering the game with the second unit.

Isaiah Stewart returns from injury

The fourth-year big man has missed four straight games after suffering a left knee hyperextension against the Miami Heat on Dec. 16. It was a quiet return for him, finishing with three points, three assists and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

His return left fewer available minutes for Reed, who had thrived as the team’s primary backup during the road trip. Reed has been a defensive playmaker and contributor throughout, collecting seven rebounds, two steals and a block against the Kings on Thursday; five assists, three steals and two blocks against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday and two steals and a block against the Phoenix Suns last weekend.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.