DENVER — Forward Danilo Gallinari scored 30 points, guard Emmanuel Mudiay had 18 and the Denver Nuggets beat the Detroit Pistons 104-101 on Saturday.
Forward Nikola Jokic scored 17 and made the key defensive play in the final seconds to help preserve the win. The Nuggets are 4-3 on their homestand that concludes Monday.
With Denver clinging to a one-point lead, Detroit guard Reggie Jackson drove to the basket in the final seconds but his layup attempt was disrupted by Jokic.
The Nuggets got the rebound and Mudiay hit two free throws to ice it.
Forward Marcus Morris led the Pistons with 20 points and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16. The Pistons have lost five of their last seven.
The Nuggets (17-27) played without forward Kenneth Faried, who leads the team in rebounding. Faried had soreness in his left adductor and couldn’t go, leaving Denver shorthanded against center Andre Drummond. Drummond, though, was a non-factor after picking up two quick fouls at the start of the game. He finished with four points and eight rebounds
Detroit trailed by 10 after three but opened the fourth by outscoring Denver 20-5 to lead 94-89. The Pistons (23-21) went scoreless for 5:06, which allowed the Nuggets to stay close. They went back in front on Gallinari’s driving layup, and Jokic made it 97-94 with 2:17 left.
Jackson, who grew up in nearby Colorado Springs, ended the Pistons’ scoring drought with a layup and then gave them the lead on a corner 3-pointer with 1:16 left.
Mudiay hit two free throws, Detroit forward Aron Baynes hit a layup and then Gallinari drilled a long jumper to give Denver a 102-101 lead with 23.8 seconds left.
Jackson and Baynes missed layups and Mudiay had a dunk attempt blocked by Caldwell Pope with 13.6 seconds left, setting the stage for Detroit’s last chance.
The Nuggets trailed by nine at halftime but came out hot in the third quarter. They hit 70 percent from the field in the period and outscored Detroit 39-20.
NOTES: Nuggets F Kenneth Faried left Saturday morning’s shootaround because of left adductor soreness. He was ruled out of the game about an hour before tip-off. … Detroit G Jodie Meeks is getting closer to returning from his fractured right foot. Meeks has played two games this season. … Nuggets G Jameer Nelson missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left wrist. … Pistons C Andre Drummond entered Saturday with a better shooting percentage from the field (52 percent) than the free-throw line (35.8 percent). … The Nuggets signed G Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day contract on Friday.