Denver Nuggets vs Boston Celtics Match Player Stats On Dec 13, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 13, 2017

BOSTON -- Kyrie Irving, returning from a one-game absence caused by a quad bruise, scored 33 points to power the Boston Celtics to a 124-118 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

Jaylen Brown added 26 points and Aron Baynes had 17 as the Celtics overcame a career-high 36 points by Gary Harris and 28 by Jamal Murray to win a battle between teams hit by the injury bug.

The Nuggets, finishing a six-game road trip, came in with four players averaging between 15.1 and 15.6 points per game and were missing three of them. Paul Millsap (wrist), Nikola Jokic (ankle) and Will Barton (back) are averaging a combined 46.4 points, 22.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists.

The Celtics, who lost Gordon Hayward in the opening game, were resting Al Horford (knee), and Marcus Morris (knee) is also out.

Irving dished out seven assists, Jayson Tatum scored 15 points and Shane Larkin added 14 in 17 1/2 minutes as the Celtics (24-6) rolled up a season high in points. Larkin was 6 of 6 from the floor and 2 of 2 from 3-point range.

Larkin scored nine points in 2:36 of the second quarter and had five points, a steal and a block during a 9-0 run early in the fourth. He was a plus-14.

Mason Plumlee scored 15 points and Wilson Chandler 14 for the Nuggets (15-13), who finished 2-4 on their trip. Denver outrebounded Boston 48-30.

Marcus Smart had nine assists for Boston. Murray and reserve Kenneth Faried each recorded 10 rebounds for Denver.

NOTES: Boston F Gordon Hayward, who sustained a broken left tibia and dislocated ankle in the season opener, discarded his walking boot Wednesday and will stay out of it depending on how his foot responds. "Today has been awesome without the boot," he said. He is slated to miss the rest of the season, but there has been talk of a late-season return. ... Denver F Will Barton, who bruised his lower back in Detroit on Tuesday night, did not play Wednesday. ... The Nuggets go home to meet the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday but then have three of their next four on the road. The Celtics host the Utah Jazz on Friday and visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, completing a stretch of five games in seven nights.