AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons are down three starters because of illness and injury, yet they cling to a 53-52 halftime lead over the Denver Nuggets as the franchise prepares to retire Chauncey Billups' No. 1 jersey during the intermission.
The Pistons jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead, the Nuggets responded just as swiftly to tie it 9-9, and the teams have been back and forth most of the way since.
The Pistons (27-26) are playing their final game before the NBA All-Star break with point guard Reggie Jackson (illness), shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (core muscle strain) and power forward Ersan Ilyasova (illness) all out of their usual spots in the starting lineup.