What a difference a day made for the Nuggets.

Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 134-119 over the Pistons that ended Detroit’s win streak at eight games Friday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

1. Nikola Jokic’s help arrived a night late. The night after the supporting cast struggled to make even the most routine looks, the opposite was true. Michael Porter Jr., who went 2 of 11 from 3 in Thursday’s loss in Milwaukee, made 6 of 7 attempts from deep and finished with 28 points on 15 attempts from the field. Jamal Murray scored a game-high 31 points against the Pistons by making 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Christian Braun cut for easy buckets and finished in transition, scoring 23 points on 14 attempts. Murray was the only teammate to crack 20 points Thursday, and he needed 20 shots to get there. Jokic got off to a slow start Friday after going 13 of 16 from the field Thursday, but he recorded another triple-double, his 28th of the season, with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists. That will help the triple-double average.

2. Not only did Braun and Zeke Nnaji score efficiently, but they did a lot to prevent Detroit’s best player from doing the same. Weeks after playing in his first All-Star Game, Cade Cunningham needed 12 shots to score 11 points. Braun was the primary defender, while Nnaji offered significant help. Nnaji started the game in place of Aaron Gordon, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Milwaukee, and hit both 3-pointers he attempted and blocked three shots in 20 minutes of playing time. The only point Cunningham scored in the first half couldn’t be blamed on Braun or Nnaji’s defense. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was assessed a technical foul 49 seconds into the game, and Cunningham hit the free throw. From that point on, Braun and Nnaji made most everything else difficult.

3. Wins in Detroit have been the expectation for much of Malone, Jokic and Murray’s time together in Denver, but that’s no longer the case. All of a sudden, the Pistons are a quality win, especially given the circumstances. The Pistons tried to set the tone physically – the source of Malone’s early technical – with the Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back. Denver was up to the challenge for most of the 48 minutes. The win, coupled with Memphis’ home loss to the Knicks, put Denver back in second place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies. If the Nuggets can manage to complete the four-game swing against Eastern Conference playoff teams with a 3-1 record after Sunday’s game in Boston, that’s a great trip for Denver.

NUGGETS 134, PISTONS 119

What happened: Denver led by eight after the first quarter and had a 68-63 advantage at halftime. A dominant third quarter gave the Nuggets a 20-point lead to start the fourth, and Denver improved to 39-21.

What went right: The Nuggets undid a slow start with a 25-3 run over a stretch of 4 minutes and 30 seconds in the first quarter to create an 18-point cushion. Christian Braun, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were responsible for most of the offense in that stretch.

What went wrong: Turnovers were once again a problem for the Nuggets. Denver committed 19 turnovers, which helped the Pistons finish with a 25-16 advantage in points off turnovers. Some of those happened in the final minutes with the rotation players watching, but Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook were responsible for seven and four giveaways, respectively.

Highlight of the night: Cade Cunningham’s steal on Nikola Jokic and ensuing dunk on Zeke Nnaji was the night’s most impressive play. It was the cost of doing business for Nnaji, who had three impressive blocks in the first quarter.

Up next: The last two champions – the Nuggets and Celtics – meet for the second time this season Sunday in Boston.