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The Boston Celtics got their rematch with the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in Mile High City. Boston, which lost 102-100 in the first meeting on Jan. 19, looked to get revenge and tie the season series. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were available to lead the Celtics.
The first quarter started like the game ended two months ago. Both teams promptly tried to impose their will over the other and exchanged shots. As expected, Tatum and Brown came out firing for Boston.
The defending champs relied on more balanced scoring to go toe-to-toe with the Eastern Conference powerhouse. Every player Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone already scored. Nikola Jokic had seven points and five assists in 12 minutes. Jamal Murray's 31-footer to end the first quarter gave Denver a 30-28 lead.
Murray carried the momentum of his buzzer-beater with a series of shots to open the second quarter. Boston kept fighting, though, by dominating the offensive boards. The extra possessions prevented the Nuggets from getting away. Jaylen Brown also got hot in the said period to lead the Celtics.
Brown had 15 second-quarter points, but Jokic responded with 13 to tow the Nuggets to a 62-54 halftime edge.
The Boston Celtics opened with a flurry in the third quarter to quickly tie the game. Denver, however, methodically padded its lead with contributions all over the floor. They would have built a much bigger lead if not for Jaylen Brown.
Brown sustained his hot form and carried the Celtics. Despite missing several free throws, he already had 34 points in the game. For much of the third frame, it was Denver versus Boston's All-Star guard. The end of the period saw the Nuggets holding a 90-80 advantage with the fourth quarter still coming.
The Denver Nuggets threatened to run away from the Boston Celtics on a few occasions in the fourth period. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, however, kept them in the game. Jrue Holiday's flurry late in the game allowed the Celtics to cut the deficit to just two points.
Nikola Jokic, unsurprisingly, came up with the crucial plays to drag the defending champs to the victory. His highlight reel alley-oop pass to Aaron Gordon settled the game and gave Denver a closely-fought 115-109 win.
Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets game player stats and box scores
Boston Celtics game player stats
Denver Nuggets game player stats
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic 3-pointers tonight
Jayson Tatum went 2-for-3 on 3-pointers tonight. Jaylen Brown had a 1-for-2 clip from deep for the Boston Celtics.
Jamal Murray went 1-for-1 from behind the arc, but Nikola Jokic has yet to attempt one for the Denver Nuggets.
Brown and Tatum didn't have a prolific 3-point shooting night. They combined to hit 4-for-12 trifectas. Jokic had several open looks from behind the arc but refused to shoot. Murray, meanwhile, missed all three of his second-half attempts to finish 1-for-4.
