Their spirit was willing but the depleted Nuggets couldn’t quite hang with the defending NBA champions Celtics Tuesday night at Ball Arena. Playing without center Nikola Jokic, who was scratched before the game with a non-COVID illness,

After squandering a 15-point first half lead, the Celtics and Nuggets played a nip and tuck game for most of the second half until Boston took command midway through the fourth quarter. With Jamal Murray on the bench, the Celtics erupted with a 15-0 run, breaking the game open in the final five minutes of the win.

Jayson Tatum had 29 points, Kristaps Porzingis finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds and the visiting Boston Celtics beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 118-106 on Tuesday night.