Current:Home > MarketsNuggets hand Celtics their first loss in Boston this season after 20 straight home wins -LegacyBuild Academy
Nuggets hand Celtics their first loss in Boston this season after 20 straight home wins
Rekubit View
Date:2025-04-10 00:20:11
BOSTON (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 35 points, Nikola Jokic finished with 34 and the Denver Nuggets held on to hand the Boston Celtics their first home loss of the season, 102-100 on Friday night.
Jokic added 12 rebounds and nine assists to help the defending NBA champions end the Celtics' streak at 20 straight home victories. It was the first of two regular-season meetings between teams with sights on representing their respective conferences in the NBA Finals. They play again in Denver on March 7.
Jayson Tatum had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but he missed a one-legged fadeaway off the rim. He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. Derrick White had 24 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 21.
Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP, feasted on a Celtics defense that opted not to double-team him for most of the game. He was efficient, connecting on 14 of 22 field attempts. It also didn’t stop him from finding his teammates, as he had nine of his assists in the first three quarters.
The game was played with high energy throughout, featuring 13 lead changes and eight ties.
Denver erased a six-point halftime deficit with a 12-4 run to open the third quarter. Boston responded with a 9-0 run to retake the lead and carried an 82-81 lead into the fourth.
Murray hit five of his first six shots in the final period to put the Nuggets in front 95-91. Boston pushed back with a 7-0 run, capped by Brown’s driving layup.
Jokic scored coming out of a timeout. Following two empty Boston possessions, he put the Nuggets ahead again with a short hook in the lane.
Jokic missed an awkward step-back 3, but Michael Porter Jr. was there to put it back in. Tatum then got free for a driving dunk to cut Denver’s lead to 101-100.
A shot-clock violation gave the ball back to Boston with just over a minute to play.
White misfired on a 3 and Porzingis was called for a foul on the rebound, but Aaron Gordon missed his corner 3-point attempt on the other end. Tatum rebounded, drove the length of the floor and got up a layup that rolled off the rim.
Gordon was fouled and hit his first free throw. A double lane violation was called on his missed second attempt, resulting in a jump ball with 17.1 seconds left.
Boston won the tip and got it to Tatum who was trapped. But he was able to call a timeout with 13.4 seconds remaining.
The Celtics nearly lost the ball when play resumed, before taking another timeout with 4.9 left to set up their final shot.
Boston took a 61-55 edge into the half after a fast-paced opening 24 minutes.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Visit the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
Celtics: Open a three-game road trip Sunday at Houston.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Will Smith resurges rap career with new single 'Work of Art'
- Gymnastics' two-per-country Olympics rule created for fairness. Has it worked?
- 2024 Paris Olympics: See Every Winning Photo From the Opening Ceremony
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Former Chiefs lineman Isaiah Buggs sentenced to hard labor in Alabama on animal cruelty charges
- Lululemon's 2024 Back to School Collection: Must-Have Apparel, Accessories & Essentials for Students
- Powerful cartel leader ‘El Mayo’ Zambada was lured onto airplane before arrest in US, AP source says
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Can Randy Arozarena save the free-falling Seattle Mariners?
Ranking
- Sam Taylor
- The Daily Money: Stocks suffer like it's 2022
- 7 additional Red Lobster restaurants have closed, bringing total to at least 106: See list
- 270 flights canceled in Frankfurt as environmental activists target airports across Europe
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- 2024 Paris Olympics: See the Athletes’ Most Emotional Moments
- Giannis Antetokounmpo being first Black Olympic flagbearer for Greece a 'huge honour'
- Deadpool & Wolverine Seemingly Pokes Fun at Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's Divorce
Recommendation
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on Friday?
Water Polo's official hype man Flavor Flav wants to see women win fourth gold
Fostering a kitten? A Californian university wants to hear from you
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Senate kickstarts effort to protect kids online, curb content on violence, bullying and drug use
Bird flu worries prompt changes to popular ‘Miracle of Birth Center’ at Minnesota State Fair
Harris will carry Biden’s economic record into the election. She hopes to turn it into an asset