In the biggest win of the season, in front of the biggest home crowd of the season, the Nuggets made a statement to the NBA world that, despite the recent big-name trades, they belong, too.
Denver erupted in the fourth quarter in a 124-118 win against Boston (41-10), the team with the best record in the NBA on Tuesday night.
Denver’s Linas Kleiza returned from a second-quarter sprained ankle to hit two consecutive fourth-quarter 3-pointers, the latter giving Denver (33-20) a 101-91 lead with 7:26 left.
The Celtics clawed back, cutting it to four with 2:20 left. But as the shot clock dwindled to two seconds, Denver center Marcus Camby shot a rare 3-pointer, from the corner, which he splashed, taking a 111-104 lead.
Denver guard Allen Iverson, who actually had a subpar All-Star Game, was splendid Tuesday, scoring a game-high 28 points with a game-high nine assists. Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 29 points.
The game marked the return of Boston’s Kevin Garnett, an MVP candidate, who missed the last nine games with an abdominal strain.
He seemingly played hurt. He scored just four points in 21 minutes.
