Nuggets 100 - 104 Celtics
Final
  for this game

Nuggets, Celtics battle in Boston

Feb 4, 2015 - 2:37 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Denver Nuggets are beginning to fade away and will try to find the win column when they resume a three-game eastern trek Wednesday against the Boston Celtics.

The Nuggets have lost three in a row and 10 of their last 11 games, and opened the swing with Tuesday's 105-98 setback to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers.

Danilo Gallinari led Denver with 22 points off the bench and Wilson Chandler netted 19 for the Nuggets, who allowed 34 points in the first quarter and were held to only 12 in the second. Arron Afflalo had 14 points and Ty Lawson handed out 14 assists in defeat.

"When you're not hitting shots, you have to defend. And when you're not doing both, you don't have a chance," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said.

Denver shot only 38.8 percent from the field and has lost five of the last six road games. The Nuggets are 7-17 away from home and will close out the trip Friday against the Detroit Pistons.

The Nuggets have failed to reach 100 points in five straight and eight of the last nine games.

Boston will also make a quick turnaround and recorded a 108-97 win against the New York Knicks Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Avery Bradley showed no signs of a thumb injury and scored a game-best 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Jared Sullinger had 22 points, and both Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder ended with 13 points.

The Celtics made 54.5 percent of their shots to end a three-game slide and win for the fourth time in the past 11 tries.

"We didn't start the game with a purpose, (with) energy. And the Celtics did," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said.

Boston is back in Beantown for two games versus Denver and Philadelphia, but has lost four in a row at home. The team is 9-15 at TD Garden.

The Celtics recorded a 100-99 win at Denver on Jan. 23, as Bradley buried the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:24 left in the game and scored 18 points. Afflalo scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who have split the last 10 games in this series.

Denver is winless in its last four games at Boston.






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