Associated Press

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 while three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was sidelined by illness.

Porzingis had 11 rebounds while Jrue Holiday contributed 19 points. The Celtics attempted 35 3-pointers, well below their season average of 50.17. Instead, they outscored the Nuggets by a 60-46 margin.

Russell Westbrook scored 26 points for Denver and had eight turnovers. Michael Porter Jr. added 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Nuggets fell to 10-7 at home. Last season they were 33-8.

After trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half, the Nuggets rallied to ensure the game remained close down the stretch. There was a brief pause with 8:56 left when a cup of ice cream spilled onto the court. The cleanup took several minutes. Christian Braun followed with a 3-pointer to equalize the score at 93.

Boston went on a 15-0 run to cement the win.

The game between the last two NBA champions was supposed to feature two of the best players in the league. But Jokic went from probable to questionable to outright ruled out. The Nuggets were also missing Aaron Gordon (calf).

Takeaways

Celtics: Excellent defense down the stretch, including steals from Al Horford and Tatum.

Nuggets: The bench had a solid performance, with Julian Strawther scoring 19 and Peyton Watson 14.

Key moment

Porter appeared to have been fouled by Sam Hauser, who made a dunk with 2:57 left in the third quarter and Denver trailed 80-77. The Celtics won the challenge.

Key statistics

There were ten lead changes and eight draws.

Next

The Nuggets turn around and host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, while the Celtics play Sacramento at home on Friday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba