Nikola Jokic had 37 points, Jamal Murray scored 21 of his 34 points in a decisive third period and the Denver Nuggets withstood Detroit’s fourth-quarter rally to beat the Pistons 134-121 on Saturday night.

Michael Porter Jr. finished the game with 26 points for Denver, which used an 18-4 run to take the lead for good at halftime and then built a 25-point lead in the fourth. Murray scored 12 points in the final 2:27 of the period, giving him his first 30-point game of the season.

Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey each scored 17 points to lead Detroit.

With their starters on the bench in the fourth quarter, the Pistons cut their 25-point deficit to 10, forcing Denver coach Michael Malone to reinstate his starters. Ronald Holland’s 3-pointer made it 128-121 with 2:35 left. Jokic closed the game with six straight points.

Takeaways

Pistons: It was a tough end to a road trip, but given the four-game set, it’s hard to be disappointed. Detroit defeated Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento to start the trip before falling to a motivated Denver team.

Nuggets: They stepped up their defense after allowing 149 points to Cleveland on Friday night. The Cavaliers had 80 points at halftime, but Denver held the Pistons to 61 at halftime.

Key moment

Russell Westbrook was called for an offensive foul with 4:44 left in the third quarter, but immediately drew a foul on Cunningham on the inbounds play. The game energized the Nuggets, who ended the quarter with a 22-8 run.

Key statistics

Denver is now 6-0 and 2-4 for the second game in a row.

Next

The Pistons open a four-game homestand against Orlando on Wednesday night, while the Nuggets travel to Utah on Monday night.