Ty Lawson scored 26 points to guide the Denver Nuggets past the Detroit Pistons 101-94.
Lawson also had seven assists and five rebounds in the game. Corey Brewer scored 15 points, Andre Iguodala finished with 12 points and eight rebounds and JaVale McGee added 12 points in six of nine attempts from the floor.
"We've had about four or five close games and didn't win," the Associated Press quoted Lawson as saying. "We've lost a bunch of times when teams came back on us when we were up 17 or 18 points."
The Pistons started off very well and soon the Nuggets were trailing 21-4 in the first quarter.
"They were the better team the first 7-8 minutes and we couldn't make a shot,"Denver coach George Karl said.
Then Reserves McGee, Brewer and Andre Miller came and changed the face of the game.
"Our starters, they weren't trying to get good shots. They were kind of going through the motions," Karl added.
The bench played with energy for the Nuggets and Detroit had no answer.
"The bench came in and gave us a big lift," Lawson said. "JaVale was dunking, Corey was stealing the ball and getting easy layups and Andre was running the show."
With the help of their bench and a 20-6 run, the Nuggets took an important 48-42 lead.
"It can be very frustrating. But I thought we came out and played very well, but you've got to play all four quarters and you've got to give Denver credit," Detroit rookie guard Kyle Singler said. "They played well, kept with it. They fought. It was a good game. We just came up short at the end."
For the Pistons, top scorer Brandon Knight had 20 points and five assists. Jason Maxiell contributed 18 points, six blocks and six rebounds, while Rodney Stuckey finished with 17 points.
"We got off to a great start. You're not going to win a game 150-14," Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "I think the key is, when they made their run, even the last four minutes of the first quarter, the key is this: a team's going to make a run.
"It's the mistakes we made and how they got them. With that, the mistakes, they multiplied, they came in succession so they become a little bit deflating."
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