DENVER (AP) - Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 25 and the Boston Celtics held off the depleted Denver Nuggets 118-106 on Tuesday night as three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic sat out because of an illness.
Porzingis had 11 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday contributed 19 points. The Celtics attempted 35 3-pointers, which was well below their season average of 50.17. Instead, they outscored the Nuggets by a 60-46 margin in the paint.
Russell Westbrook had 26 points for Denver. Michael Porter Jr. added 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Nuggets dropped to 10-7 at home. They were 33-8 last season.
Trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half, the Nuggets rallied to make sure the game stayed tight down the stretch. There was a momentary break with 8:56 remaining when a cup of ice spilled on the court. It took several minutes to clean up. Christian Braun followed with a 3-pointer to tie it at 93.
