Tobias Harris and Cade Cunningham score 22 each as Pistons hold off Nuggets 109-107

DENVER (AP) — Tobias Harris scored 22 points, including two free throws with 2 seconds left, and the Detroit Pistons held off a late Denver rally to beat the travel-weary Nuggets 109-107 on Tuesday night.

Cade Cunningham had with 22 points and 11 assists for Detroit, which has won nine of 11 and leads the Eastern Conference by 5 1/2 games over Boston.

Jamal Murray had 24 points and 10 assists but missed two free throws in the final seconds. With the Nuggets down 107-104, Murray was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 4 seconds left and missed the first foul shot. Harris was fouled and made both free throws. Murray went to the line again with 0.7 seconds remaining but missed the second foul shot.

Jonas Valanciunas returned from a one-game absence to finish with 16 points and 16 rebounds for Denver, which had been scheduled to play at the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The game was postponed because of the winter storm that hit most of the country, and the Nuggets were stranded in Memphis until Monday morning.

“The mental part of it was really hard,” coach David Adelman said.

Denver played without Aaron Gordon, who reinjured his right hamstring Friday night at Milwaukee. Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun continued to rehab their injuries.

Valanciunas missed 11 games with a right calf strain suffered at Toronto on Dec. 31. He returned in Thursday night’s win at Washington but sat out against the Bucks.

The Pistons led by 18 in the second quarter and by 11 early in the fourth before Denver rallied. Trailing 97-90, the Nuggets went on a 7-2 run to get within a bucket, and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s 3-pointer made it 103-102 with 57 seconds left.

Up next

Pistons: At Phoenix on Thursday night.

Nuggets: Host Brooklyn on Thursday night.

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