Detroit @ Denver preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 12, 2017 ) Denver 103, Detroit 84

The Denver Nuggets hurt their cause in the Western Conference playoff race with three losses in their last five games. With their longest road trip of the season on the horizon, Thursday's home matchup with the reeling Detroit Pistons is practically a must-win scenario for the Nuggets.

Denver fell 112-103 at the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday to sink into 10th place in the West, just one game out of a playoff spot but on the cusp of seven consecutive contests away from home, beginning Saturday at Memphis. "We've just got to win games," center Mason Plumlee told reporters after the second chippy contest with the Lakers in less than a week. "We've got to go home and beat Detroit. We're done with the Lakers for the season, so you've got to move on." The Pistons lost 11 of their last 14 games and opened a six-game road trip in dismal fashion, falling 110-79 at Utah on Tuesday. Detroit's starters combined for 43 points on 16-of-43 shooting as the team fell 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot entering Wednesday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, Altitude (Denver)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (30-37): Tuesday's lopsided affair allowed rookie Luke Kennard to see a personal-high 36 minutes and he responded with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also had one of the team's 14 steals as Detroit forced 24 turnovers. "It just shows we can defend at a high level," Kennard told reporters. "But we just need to do that for 48 minutes. There are positive things that can come out of it, but we just have to stay consistent with it."

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (37-31): Denver led by 13 points with just over two minutes left in the third quarter at Los Angeles before fading down the stretch. "I thought we had some guys out there in that end of the third quarter that were not ready to play," coach Mike Malone told the media. "That hurt us to close that quarter in a big way." Wilson Chandler was one of the bright spots with 26 points and he's averaging 21 on 68 percent shooting in two games since returning from a hip injury.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Detroit has lost 10 straight on the road.

2. Denver PF Nikola Jokic is shooting 33-for-46 from the floor over a four-game span.

3. Nuggets PG Jamal Murray scored 28 points to lead his team to a 103-84 win at Detroit earlier this season.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 110, Pistons 93