AUBURN HILLS -- Greg Monroe's bittersweet day ended with a choked-up disclosure Friday that the Detroit Pistons big man compiled his first 20-20 game on the same day his maternal grandmother died.

Monroe's All-Star break figures to be melancholy when family join in New Orleans to celebrate Althea Dixon's life, but he started the memorials early with a personal milestone in the Pistons' 98-88 win over the Denver Nuggets, before 17,035 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Monroe later recounted some childhood memories of his grandmother, who surely would have been proud of his 21-point, 21-rebound night.

"Just playing hard," the understated Monroe said. "A couple good bounces but just playing hard."

It was a critical win for the Pistons (20-31), who have won three of four, against a Nuggets team which has lost 12 of 13.

Monroe was suspended for the Pistons' season-opening loss at Denver because of an impaired-driving conviction.

He made several of the biggest plays in the rematch, including a pair of vital passes to cutters for a D.J. Augustin layup to make it 86-74, then a Jonas Jerebko hook shot to make it 88-77.

"I'm always looking to make the right play, no matter if I've got it going or not," Monroe said. "If someone cuts to the basket, and they're open, I'm going to throw it to them. Anybody can get a bucket in my eyes."

The Nuggets (19-32) never got closer than six points the rest of the way, despite a horrendous start to the fourth quarter for the Pistons, who had nine turnovers on their first 14 possessions of the final period.

"Those were huge, the two cuts, D.J. and Jonas," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Those were really big plays when we were struggling. I mean, Greg was fabulous tonight. He dominated. I tried to play him with smaller people. They got a few turnovers and did a good job on their double-teams, but one on one, they didn't have anybody who could play him."

The Pistons have three games remaining until the All-Star break and are two games behind Miami and Brooklyn in the chase for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit won for the fifth time in its last six home games after struggling most of the season here, where they are 10-16.

"We've definitely been playing well at home," Monroe said. "We've just got to continue it on Sunday (against Minnesota)."

The Pistons didn't allow a second-chance point in the first half, when they had a 34-16 scoring advantage in the paint and built a 56-42 halftime lead.

The Nuggets got within eight points before a 14-0 Pistons run in the third quarter kept them in check the rest of the way, even with Detroit's wretched fourth quarter.

The 14-0 run, which made it 74-52, included three 3-pointers, two of them by Augustin, whose 22-point, 11-assist game was his third 20-10 game in the last four.

Until that run, the Pistons were 1 of 14 on 3-pointers, and for a team that has relied heavily on long-range shooting during its turnaround, the ability to win comfortably on a 4-of-24 night was telling.

"We were just playing defense, rebounding and pushing the ball," Augustin said. "If we keep doing that, and scoring easy baskets, then we don't have to shoot threes. When all those things are clicking for us, we can be dangerous."

Detroit Pistons vs. Denver Nuggets - Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 20 Gallery: Detroit Pistons vs. Denver Nuggets - Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

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