The Boston Celtics stayed on a roll, cruising to their fifth straight game Friday night by taking down the Denver Nuggets, 131-112, at TD Garden.
Boston's winning streak has propelled it to a 9-3 record, while the Nuggets fall to 8-4.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
With the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic in town, it was a star battle and Boston's best players outperformed that of Denver.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown teamed up once again to pick apart an opposing defense, really getting any shot they wanted as they combined for 59 points. Jokic put forth his usual effort, but with Jamal Murray (14 points) not providing enough scoring, Denver's duo couldn't match Tatum and Brown.
Denver really shouldn't feel bad about that. Tatum and Brown have played so well off each other this season and are elite scoring options in a Celtics offense that is a well-oiled machine to start the campaign.
It all obviously starts with Tatum and Brown as they not only continue to score in high volume, but keep making the right plays to take advantage of whoever the Celtics play on a given night.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Brown didn't miss many shots, putting together a strong and efficient performance to net 25 points. Brown knocked down the first 10 shots he took. He also added eight rebounds and eight assists.
-- Tatum continues to be a scoring machine as he poured in a game-high 34 points on 11-for-21 shooting. It was his seventh game this season in which he scored at least 30 points. Tatum added eight rebounds and five assists to help lead the way.
-- Jokic, the two-time reigning MVP, played mostly as advertised despite battling foul trouble. Jokic put up 29 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the loss.
WAGER WATCH
With Malcolm Brogdon out, Derrick White stepped up off the bench. DraftKings Sportsbook set White's over/under for made 3-pointers at 1.5, which White surpassed. White connected on two 3-pointers as part of a 10-point effort. With +165 odds, a $100 wager on this prop bet would have netted a total payout of $265.
UP NEXT
There's no rest for the Celtics as they hit the road Saturday for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons, who lost to Boston, 128-112, at TD Garden on Wednesday. Tipoff from Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
