BOSTON — The TD Garden crowd went silent early in the fourth quarter Sunday afternoon, worried the hometown Celtics would blow another significant lead. But two days after surrendering a big comeback win to the Cavaliers, Boston held off a Nuggets charge for a 110-103 victory.
After Jaylen Brown missed a short jumper with the Celtics ahead by three points during the final minute, Derrick White tracked down the offensive rebound to convert a floater that gave his team a bit of cushion with 54 seconds left. Al Horford stole a pass on the ensuing Nuggets possession and scored a layup at the other end to all but seal the Boston win.
The Celtics, who led by 20 points early in the third quarter, allowed Jamal Murray to cut the margin to 83-79 on the Nuggets’ opening possession of the fourth. But with three-time MVP Nikola Jokić sitting on the bench for his usual rest, Boston responded with an 11-4 flurry over the next four minutes. The Celtics bench, which outscored Denver’s 28-11, scored eight of the points during the run.
By the time Jokić subbed back in with 7:41 left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics held a 94-84 cushion. The Nuggets continued threatening, but got no closer than three points the rest of the way. Murray, who scored just four first-half points, poured in 22 after halftime to give Boston a scare.
Missing Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (finger), the Celtics started Horford and Luke Kornet together. The combination gave them more size to throw at Jokić, who still tallied 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. The big frontcourt also allowed Kornet to defend Russell Westbrook in what would be an unorthodox matchup for most teams.
Boston, however, likes to assign Kornet to an opponent’s worst-shooting perimeter player so he can sag off and protect the rim. The big man helped force Westbrook into 2-for-8 shooting from the field in the first half. The Nuggets guard finished with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting with six assists and three rebounds.
Tatum and Brown combined for 83 points during Friday night’s loss to Cleveland — the most they had ever scored in the same game. They were quieter against the Nuggets, though Brown (22 points, eight assists and five rebounds) scored several baskets on Murray inside and Tatum (16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists) recorded his 28th double-double of the season.
Horford (19 points, eight rebounds) also keyed the Boston win. After entering Sunday with 15 double-digit scoring games this season, he scored 13 points in the first half alone. Also the Celtics’ best defensive matchup against Jokić, Horford reached the 35-minute mark for the third time this season. He helped the Celtics avoid their first three-game losing skid of the season.
The Nuggets finished a four-game Eastern Conference road trip at 2-2.
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(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)
