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Jokic finished with 43 points, Jamal Murray had
25 -- but suffered nine turnovers -- and Facundo Campazzo added
15 in his first start for short-handed Denver.
The Nuggets played without five rotation players, three of them
starters. In addition to Gary Harris, P.J. Dozier and Will
Barton, who all missed Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers,
Paul Millsap (left knee sprain) and Monte Morris (right shoulder
strain) were sidelined.
With nearly half the roster out, Jokic carried the team in the
first half, scoring 29 points on 10-of-12 field goals and made
all three of his long-range attempts.
Boston took a five-point lead into the intermission and was
ahead 67-60 when Denver went on an 11-4 run to tie it on Jokic's
turnaround 13-footer with 4:09 left in the third. Semi Ojeleye
hit a 3-pointer, and after Jokic sank a floater, Brown hit two
from behind the arc to put the Celtics back in front 80-73.
Boston finished the third quarter on a 15-4 run to lead by 11
heading into the fourth.
The Nuggets scored the first four points of the fourth quarter,
but the Celtics quickly increased the lead to 12 with Jokic on
the bench. Campazzo hit two free throws and then a 3-pointer to
get Denver within nine.
Brown hit two more 3-pointers to put Boston ahead 101-88 with
4:35 left. The Nuggets never got closer than 10 the rest of the
way.
The Celtics led by four after one quarter and pushed the lead to
15 before Denver closed the second quarter with a flurry. Down
54-42, Jokic hit a 15-footer, Campazzo scored on a reverse layup
and then sank a 3-pointer. Murray also hit one from deep during
a late first-half run, but Boston led 59-54 at halftime.
--Field Level Media
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