Nuggets top Pistons 120-113 but lose Gary Harris to injury

DENVER — With 14 regular season games separating the Nuggets and a potential playoff berth for the first time in four seasons, Denver can’t afford to drop any one of its five remaining home games. The Nuggets took care of business at the friendly confines of Pepsi Center and topped the Detroit Pistons 120-113 but lost one of their key contributors in the fourth quarter.

Gary Harris landed awkwardly following a dunk attempt with 6:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. He walked gingerly to Denver’s bench following the play under his own power and stayed in the game to attempt a free-throw. Harris then walked to the Nuggets’ locker room and did not return to the bench.

The extent of Harris’ injury is not known at this time. The Nuggets diagnosed Harris with right knee soreness. He scored 11 points on 5-7 shooting in 28 minutes before the injury.

Without Harris, Denver was able to hang on in the fourth quarter against a Pistons team that rallied back from a 26-point third-quarter deficit. Detroit closed to within six at the 2:37 mark of the fourth, and then five points a few possession later on a Dwight Buycks three-pointer. The Nuggets got enough stops down the stretch to secure a seven-point win.

Elsewhere for Denver, Nikola Jokic registered his eighth triple-double of the season — the third-most in the NBA this year. Jokic finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with a team-high 24 points on 9-17 shooting.

Denver initially pulled away from Detroit after a 20-6 run spanning the first and second quarters. The Nuggets outscored the Pistons 32-22 in the second but Detroit outscored Denver 62-55 in the second half.

For the Pistons, Blake Griffin finished with 26 points and nine rebounds. Andre Drummond scored 21 points and tallied 17 boards.

The Nuggets (38-31) begin a season-long seven-game road trip at Memphis (18-50) on Saturday.