Nuggets Dominate Celtics, 119-99

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Boston Celtics, 119-99, at Pepsi Center on
Friday night. The Nuggets (30-35) were buoyed by the somewhat surprising active
statuses of Nikola Jokic (illness) and Danilo Gallinari (vertigo), and both
players proved pivotal to the win. Each eclipsed the 20-point mark on the night,
leading Denver to a stellar 52.9 percent success rate from the field. That
helped them overcome 18 turnovers, as did their defense, which helped force the
same amount from the Celtics (41-25). The Nuggets also won the rebounding battle
handily, outperforming Boston by a 49-33 margin down low. The Celtics were paced
by Isaiah Thomas, who tallied 21 points, five assists, two rebounds and one
steal. Avery Bradley posted 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and three
steals. Al Horford generated 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and one
steal. Jaylen Brown led the second unit with 14 points, two boards and one
assist. Marcus Smart was productive in a reserve role as well, generating a
typically full stat line of 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one
steal. Wilson Chandler led the way for the Nuggets with 23 points, eight
rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Jokic turned in a 21-point,
10-rebound double that also included seven assists, four steals and one block.
Gallinari went for 20 points, five boards, one assist and two steals. Gary
Harris and Jameer Nelson combined for only 17 points, and Jameer Nelson led the
bench with 13 points and three rebounds. The Celtics return home to tangle with
the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon, while the Nuggets hit the road and face
off with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.