Denver @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 15, 2018 ) Detroit 113, Denver 120

The Denver Nuggets have a chance at matching their longest winning streak of the season when they continue a four-game road trip at the Detroit Pistons on Monday. With Saturday's 107-106 victory at Minnesota, the Nuggets had won six in a row, were tied atop the Western Conference with the Golden State Warriors and clinched an All-Star trip later this month for their coaching staff.

"There was a very small part of me that wanted just to relax with my family and be a husband, be a father for a few days," coach Michael Malone told reporters Saturday. "But any time you can represent your team, your city, your fans at the All-Star game is an honor. ... Our staff deserves a ton of credit. They work their butts off. Very thankful for everything they do for me every single day." Malone will take with him just one player in center Nikola Jokic, who secured his ninth triple-double of the season and the 25th of his career in the win over the Timberwolves. The Pistons are 1-2 thus far on their four-game homestand following a collapse Saturday night in a 111-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, who trailed by 23 points in the third quarter. Reggie Jackson had 29 points and seven assists in the defeat as Detroit fell for the 10th time in its last 15 home games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (37-15): Jokic recorded 13 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists -- including one on a full-court heave to Malik Beasley with about a minute left -- on Saturday as Denver improved to 9-2 in games decided by three points or fewer. "We just kind of find a way to win the games, especially the close ones. We never quit anymore," Jokic told reporters. Beasley finished with 22 points one game after recording a career-high 35 in a win over Houston, and the third-year pro is averaging 26.3 points over his last three contests as he helps the Nuggets survive the absences of guards Jamal Murray (ankle) and Gary Harris (groin).

ABOUT THE PISTONS (22-29): After opening the season 4-0 and improving to 13-7 with a win over the defending champion Warriors on Dec. 1, it's been mostly rough going for Detroit and Saturday's defeat may have been the worst of the bunch. "Devastating," coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "We played as good a basketball as we could play. We're like two different teams." All-Star Blake Griffin scored 24 points but needed 23 shots -- 12 3-point attempts -- to get there and also turned the ball over five times.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons SG Bruce Brown is 0-for-8 from the floor over the last two games.

2. Nuggets PG Monte Morris started the last three games and is averaging 18.3 points and 8.3 assists in that span.

3. Denver took both meetings last season and Jokic had a triple-double in the one game he played against Detroit in 2017-18.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 111, Pistons 106