BOSTON (AP) — Jamal Murray had 22 points and 17 assists and Peyton Watson scored 30 for the Denver Nuggets, who went on a 14-0 run to rally from a fourth-quarter deficit and pull away to beat the Boston Celtics 114-110 on Wednesday night.
In a game missing its two biggest stars — Denver’s three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Boston All-Star Jayson Tatum — the teams played through 26 lead changes and another nine ties before Denver turn a three-point deficit midway through the fourth into a 101-90 lead.
Boston trailed 107-95 and cut it to three points in the final seconds, but it was too late.
Jaylen Brown scored 33 and Neemias Queta grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds for Boston, which had won five in a row.
Denver had lost six of its last 10 since opening the season 20-6, losing ground on the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference race. They are 3-2 since Jokic went out with a hyperextended left knee. Murray and Christian Braun returned to the starting lineup after sitting out Monday’s overtime win to Philadelphia, the second game of a back-to-back.
Denver trailed 90-87 before scoring 14 straight, getting nine points from Watson and eight from Zeke Nnaji in the fourth.
The Celtics started the game 1 for 6 from the free-throw line, with Brown missing two in a row while the crowd chanted “M-V-P!” They finished 9 for 15 on foul shots.
Up next
Nuggets: Host Atlanta on Friday night.
Celtics: Host Toronto on Friday night.
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