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DENVER -- Aaron Brooks got word just before game time that he would start in place of an ailing Ty Lawson, and then took advantage of his opportunity. Chris Tillman Jersey . Brooks had 27 points and a career-high 17 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets past the Detroit Pistons 118-109 on Wednesday night for their fourth win in five games. "Aaron did a great job of picking those guys apart," teammate Darrell Arthur said. "He did whatever he wanted to. He got to the rim. He got guys open for easy looks. He did a great job managing the floor today." Brooks said he found out Lawson, who was suffering from a sinus infection, wouldnt be able to play when Lawson walked off the court and told him after struggling in pregame warm-ups. "I thought he was joking at first," Brooks said. "I was like, Quit playing around. Get back out there. But thats what you have to do. We all stepped up." Randy Foye added 22 points, Kenneth Faried had 14 and J.J. Hickson had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets. Wilson Chandler also sat out after receiving an injection to treat a hip injury. Greg Monroe scored 22 points to lead the Pistons, who lost their 11th in a row on the road. Rodney Stuckey added 18 and Kyle Singler and Charlie Villanueva each had 13. "Aaron Brooks was able to get in the lane and Randy Foye just caught fire from 3," Monroe said. "Anytime you have a backcourt that ones getting to the rim and the other is knocking down 3s, its going to be tough on any night." Trailing by seven at the half, the Nuggets rallied to take an 85-84 lead into the fourth quarter. After Singlers 3-pointer put the Pistons in front 82-75, the Nuggets outscored Detroit 10-2 over the final 3:20 of the third quarter to regain the lead. Brooks started the spurt with a 3-pointer and a driving reverse layup and Foye closed it by hitting a 3 and finishing a fast-break with a layup after stealing an inbounds pass. Denver used another 10-2 surge to stretch its lead to 104-91 midway through the final period. Detroit pulled to 113-109 with 54.2 seconds remaining as Singler and Villanueva hit 3s around a layup by Hickson. But Hickson had another layup and Anthony Randolph converted a three-point play to give the Nuggets a nine-point cushion with 31.7 seconds remaining. Stuckey scored 14 of his points in the first half, helping the Pistons take a 61-54 lead. Detroit led by as many as 11 points early on. NOTES: Pistons C Andre Drummond sat the game out after injuring his neck on Saturday against Indiana. ... Pistons G Chauncey Billups, a former Nugget and native of Denver who has been sidelined by a knee injury, returned a warm ovation from the crowd with a couple of waves of his hand. ... The Pistons lost Josh Smith to ejection midway through the third quarter after he picked up a pair of technical fouls in quick succession. ... Brooks previous career high for assists was 13 against Phoenix on Nov. 17, 2009. Zach Britton Jersey .The rookie goalie made 36 saves to help the Calgary Flames blank their Pacific Division rivals 1-0 on Saturday following a 48-hour ordeal that included lost baggage, a cancelled flight and a new pair of contact lenses. Pedro Alvarez Jersey . RAPTORS STRUGGLING: The bottom line is the true test in sports isnt just how you handle failure, but how you handle success. http://www.theoriolesteamshop.com/Orioles-Eddie-Murray-Kids-Jersey/ . Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions.CHICAGO -- The contending Atlanta Braves bolstered their bench and bullpen on Thursday, acquiring utilityman Emilio Bonifacio and left-hander James Russell in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. The Braves also got cash back from the Cubs in exchange for catching prospect Victor Caratini. Bonifacio and Russell did not play in the Cubs 3-1 win over Colorado on Thursday afternoon. "These are two pieces that we really like," Atlanta GM Frank Wren said on a conference call. "In Bonifacio, we got a really versatile bench player who can do a lot of things well. In Russells case, its another veteran bullpen arm." Russell was in the home bullpen at Wrigley Field when the trade was made. He hugged several of his teammates and coaches -- and slapped hands with a few fans -- as he exited while the game was going on. "Its kind of hard to wrap your head around it," Russell said. "Its obviously a shock. I knew things were gonna happen. Theres really nothing you can do to prepare yourself for this. Its still kind of weird. I dont know how to feel. Theres a lot of excitement, a lot of mixed emotioons. Craig Gentry Jersey. " The 29-year-old Bonifacio hit .279 with 14 steals in 69 games for the Cubs this season. He previously played for Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez when they were both with the Marlins. "Hes a guy who gives you a lot of versatility. You can play him anywhere on the field," Gonzalez said in Los Angeles. "You can bring him off the bench or start him if the matchup is right. Hes a nice National League player." The 28-year-old Russell is 0-2 with one save and a 3.51 ERA in 44 games. "Hes not your traditional left-handed reliever," Gonzalez said. "You can let him run through some right-handers. Hes durable." Atlanta is in the chase for the NL East title, and the Cubs are last in the NL Central. The 20-year-old Caratini was selected by the Braves in the second round of the 2013 draft. He hit .279 with five homers and 42 RBIs in 87 games with Class A Rome this season. "Hes a guy we liked in the draft a lot," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer. "Weve said it all along, catching is a weakness in our system and we dont have enough of it." Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Ducks Jerseys Cheap Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Cheap Bruins Jerseys Cheap Sabres Jerseys Cheap Panthers Jerseys Cheap Canadiens Jerseys Cheap Senators Jerseys Cheap Hurricanes Jerseys Cheap Blue Jackets Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Cheap Rangers Jerseys Cheap Flyers Jerseys ' ' '