Pistons at Nuggets
There's probably not a team in the NBA more eager to see their home floor than the Denver Nuggets, who have stumbled out of the gate by losing all three games on a season-opening East Coast road trip. The Nuggets get a chance to halt the skid against another winless team when they host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. Denver entered the season with high hopes after pushing the Los Angeles Lakers to a seventh game in the playoffs, but an offense that led the league in points in 2011-12 was surprisingly punchless prior to Saturday's 120-116 loss at Miami.
The Pistons may not harbor the same expectations as the Nuggets, but the third straight 0-3 start is obviously a disappointment as they continue a six-game, nine-day road swing that features a pair of back-to-backs this week. Detroit was among the league's lowest-scoring teams last season, so it's no surprise that it ranks 28th in the league at 88.0 points per game. The Pistons were bludgeoned by the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night and have the misfortune of playing consecutive road games against playoff teams that opened the season 0-3.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Detroit, Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (0-3): It didn't appear guard Rodney Stuckey's early-season struggles could get any worse. Guess again. Stuckey was scoreless in 25 minutes against the Lakers, missing all six shots to extend his shooting slump to 1-for-23 for the season. Stuckey has one point in the first two games of the road trip and has attempted only one free throw. Stuckey, who averaged at least 14.8 points in each of the last three seasons, has been bothered by migraines but understands he needs to do more. "I know I'm struggling, but I'll find my rhythm," he said.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (0-3): Denver had the reigning champion Heat on the ropes before succumbing on a four-point play by Ray Allen with 6.7 seconds to play. Still, after a pair of woeful performances at Philadelphia and Orlando, the Nuggets had to be encouraged by re-discovering their offensive mojo at Miami with seven of the eight players scoring in double figures. Andre Iguodala had his best outing by far with 22 points - doubling his previous high - and Kenneth Faried bounced back from a disappearing act at Orlando with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets have won the last four meetings while averaging 115.8 points per game.
2. Detroit has been outrebounded by an average of nearly 12 per game.
3. Denver scored 34 points in the first quarter against Miami, nearly matching its first half totals at Philadelphia (38) and Orlando (37).