The Boston Celtics came dangerously close to blowing yet another 20-point lead Sunday afternoon before late-game heroics from Derrick White helped seal a narrow win over the Denver Nuggets.
Denver cut its deficit to just three points on a Jamal Murray layup late in the fourth quarter, before White’s high-arching floater from the free-throw line made it a two-possession game with less than a minute to play. The bucket halted all momentum that the Nuggets had gained, allowing Boston to pull away for a 110-103 victory in a battle of two of the three most recent NBA champions.
White finished with 17 points for the home team and led the way in making three-pointers with five — including two in the decisive fourth quarter. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Celtics and prevented what could have been its first three-game skid of the season.
“Most of the time I start the fourth and just try to be aggressive and pick my spots,” said White, who also tallied two clutch steals in the win. “I think each game is a little bit different and you kind of just have to read it, but my teammates and the coaching staff really trust me, and so that kind of gives you the confidence to go out there and be aggressive and take and make some big shots.”
The Celtics were again without starting center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and guard Jrue Holiday (finger), who both also sat out Friday night’s loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers — a game Boston had led by 22 points. But in a testament to their depth, the shorthanded Celtics still saw five different players score in double figures.
This time, it was All-Star Jaylen Brown who led the way in the scoring column, finishing with 22 points to complement his eight assists and five rebounds. Brown, who was 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, did the majority of his damage from within the paint despite the presence of reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
“I’m just using my size, using my strength, just getting to my spots and raising up,” Brown told reporters after the game. “Tonight, I had a couple that missed, that went short. My knee has been bothering me a little bit. But any time I get two feet in the green and I can just rise up, I think I’m one of the best in the game at that.”
The 38-year-old player, Al Horford, added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics, while White, Jayson Tatum (16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists), and Payton Pritchard (11 points, three assists) also scored in double figures.
Denver, meanwhile, had three players score at least two points in the loss. Murray led the way with a game-high 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, followed by Christian Braun (24 points, six rebounds), and Jokic (20 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists). Jokic appeared to be hobbling through much of the contest but still played 39 of the game’s 48 minutes.
The Nuggets (39-22) will be back in action Wednesday when they welcome a Sacramento Kings (31-28) team to town that’s won three straight games. Boston (43-18) will also be back in action Wednesday when it welcomes the Portland Trailblazers (27-34) to the TD Garden. Portland has won four of its last five games.
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