The Denver Nuggets are back in the win column and sitting second in the Western Conference with a 10-4 record, trailing only the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Here are three takeaways from the Nuggets’ 107-103 win in Detroit:

1. Reggie Jackson played his best game in place of Jamal Murray so far and picked quite a time to step up. Playing without Nikola Jokic for most of the game, more on that in a second, Jackson ran the point to almost perfection. He finished with a team-high 21 points, making 9 of 16 shots and sealing the game with a clutch free throw. He added six assists without a turnover and recorded one block and one steal. He and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were the only starters to finish with positive plus-minus ratings, as Denver won their minutes by three points.

The Nuggets don’t expect Murray to return to the court before the road trip ends with Friday’s In-Season Tournament game in Houston, so continued strong showings from Jackson will be of increased importance for at least the next couple of games.

2. Michael Malone sent the message, and it didn’t seem that Nikola Jokic was listening. Judging by the quickness with which the Nuggets coach was ejected late in the first quarter, Malone was more concerned with taking a stand for his star than sticking around for the rest of the game. Jokic joined his coach in the locker room after picking up his second technical foul late in the second quarter. Jokic also had his minutes reduced in Sunday’s loss in Cleveland when he carelessly picked up his fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession early in the third quarter.

There has to be a better way for the Nuggets to raise legitimate concerns about the way their star is officiated than having him miss time on the court due to his frustration with the officiating.

3. The yells of “First Team” can almost be heard back in Denver. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, whose teammates are lobbying for him to be considered amongst the league’s best defenders, is setting quite the example for Christian Braun.

Caldwell-Pope was great in his 3-and-D role, going 2 of 5 from 3-point range, and making an impact on defense. He finished with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Caldwell-Pope has recorded a steal in all 14 of Denver’s games this season and matched his season high in points Monday. Braun finished with 15 points, his fourth consecutive game in double figures scoring, and continued Caldwell-Pope’s strong defensive effort with the second unit. The Nuggets have to like what they’re getting from their defensive-minded shooting guards.

NUGGETS 107, PISTONS 103

What happened: The Nuggets didn’t let their two-game skid turn into a three-game losing streak despite the early departures of Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic, both of whom were ejected in the first half Monday in Detroit.

Denver overcame a slow start with a solid first stint from the reserves and led by four at the end of the first quarter. The Nuggets led by as many as eight in the second quarter but needed Reggie Jackson’s buzzer-beating layup to go up 56-55 at halftime. Jackson couldn’t beat the buzzer again at the end of the third, and Denver settled for a two-point lead to start the fourth. The game was tied at 99 with 3 minutes remaining, but a solid defensive stretch and one Reggie Jackson free throw was enough to send Detroit to a 12th consecutive loss.

What went right: Denver’s defense got the job done in three of the four quarters. The exception was a 32-point second quarter for the Pistons, which followed a 23-point opening quarter. Detroit scored just 24 points in both the third and fourth quarters. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continued to lead the charge with two steals and a pair of blocks. Peyton Watson, who didn’t play Sunday in Cleveland, blocked a couple of shots, while Reggie Jackson and Zeke Nnaji all finished with one steal and one block.

What went wrong: Nikola Jokic’s ejection made it tougher than it should be against a Detroit team that has the NBA’s worst record, 2-13. Jokic got tossed after picking up his second technical foul late in the second quarter. He only played 15 minutes. That meant other guys had to play extended minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (36), Aaron Gordon (37) and Michael Porter Jr. (38) all had to play more minutes to get Denver a win on the second night of a back-to-back.

Highlight of the night: Three different players stepped up when Denver needed stops down the stretch. It started with the Nuggets up three points with just over a minute to go when Michael Porter Jr.’s blocked what looked to be an Isaiah Stewart dunk from behind. Aaron Gordon kept it going with a solid contest on Ausar Thompson’s layup. The miss kept Denver up three with 45 seconds left. Cade Cunningham, who scored a game-high 27 points, looked ready to add to his total, but Caldwell-Pope maintained verticality to block the layup and snag the rebound with 13 seconds left, setting up the game-sealing free throw.

Up next: Denver plays the fourth game of its five-game road trip Wednesday in Orlando.