DENVER — The Detroit Pistons played nearly 47 minutes of good basketball on Sunday. They went toe-to-toe with a playoff-bound Denver Nuggets team, weathering several runs and keeping the margin close down the wire.
A layup by Cory Joseph tied the game at 111 with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, bringing the Pistons back from a 16-point deficit at the end of the third quarter.
It was the last bucket Detroit would score, as three turnovers in the final minute allowed Denver to escape with a 117-111 win.
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The Pistons committed 22 turnovers, leading to 28 Nuggets points. Six of those turnovers came in the fourth quarter.
Four Pistons scored 18 points — Joseph, Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Trey Lyles. Cunningham also had eight assists, five rebounds and six turnovers, Joseph dished six assists, and Stewart made all eight of his shots from the field.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic…