Detroit might not have known what it was giving up in Arron Afflalo. But the Nuggets did. After the guard was acquired last July from Detroit in a salary dump, Nuggets officials talked about his great potential. All the Nuggets gave up in the deal was a second-round pick, and they also got forward Walter Sharpe, who soon was shipped to Milwaukee. Afflalo returned to Detroit on Thursday. Although the Nuggets lost 101-99, he made his 16th straight start, which has been a big change for him.
It's one shy of the number of starts Afflalo got in two full seasons with the Pistons after being drafted by them in 2007. He started nine games in 2007-08 and eight last season. Now, Afflalo likes coming to the arena knowing he's the starting shooting guard.
"It's still early in the season, but I'm feeling more and more comfortable," said Afflalo, averaging 8.1 points after averaging 3.7 as a rookie and 4.9 last season with Detroit. "We're settling into a rotation... But the only thing that matters is winning."
Afflalo knows that his role is going to be different every game. Some nights he will be counted on more for offense and some nights more for defense.
"It just depends on the personnel," Affalo said. "The offensive thing is just hit the open shots and running the floor. We've got a lot of creative guys who can score. Usually, the game dictates (what is needed)."
PISTONS 101, NUGGETS 99: The streak continues.
The Nuggets lost their 14th straight game at Detroit, falling Thursday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. They haven't won in the building since March 10, 1995.
The Nuggets lost despite forward Carmelo Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer, scoring 40 points. He shot 16-of-28.
Former Detroit star Chauncey Billups had a chance to tie the game, but he air-balled a lay-up just before the buzzer. In his second return to Detroit since being traded to the Nuggets in November 2008, Billups scored 21 points.
"You can't complain about that shot," said Nuggets coach George Karl. "I think with Chauncey being here in Detroit, that's what you should do."
Reserve forward Charlie Villanueva led the Pistons with 27 points and guard Rodney Stuckey added 25.
The Nuggets fell behind 92-84 before making an 8-0 run to tie the score with less than five minutes left in the game. Anthony gave them a 94-93 lead, their first advantage since the second quarter, with 3:53 left.
But the Pistons took the lead for good at 97-96 when Villanueva split a pair of foul shots with 2:23 left.
After winning four straight, the Nuggets have dropped two in a row.
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