Auburn Hills — The All-Star break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Pistons.
Decimated by injuries, the team was without starters Ersan Ilyasova (illness) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (core muscle strain) as well as reserves Jodie Meeks (right foot), Reggie Bullock (broken nose/surgery) and Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle).
That list grew less than 10 minutes before tip-off Wednesday when point guard Reggie Jackson missed his first start of the season, a late scratch due to illness.
The battered Pistons limped into the eight-day layoff with their fourth loss in five games, falling to the Nuggets 103-92 at The Palace.