Celtics keep on winning with Tatum

BOSTON • The Boston Celtics continued to make Jayson Tatum look prophetic after they extended their winning streak to seven games with a 108-102 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday.

On Jan 31, the All-Star forward tweeted: "The energy is about to shift". Since then, the Celtics (32-25) have yet to lose.

Only the Toronto Raptors, who sit one place above them in sixth in the Eastern Conference, are on a longer winning run (eight games).

Tatum is doing his part in shifting the energy in Boston and led all scorers with 24 points.

Marcus Smart added 22 and Robert Williams III had 15 points and 16 rebounds for Boston, who trailed 88-86 with 8min 26sec left before closing the game by outscoring the Nuggets 22-14 at TD Garden. Said Smart: "We just stayed with it. We didn't let anything fluster us. We just kept trusting in one another."

Celtics guard Derrick White contributed 15 points and six rebounds off the bench in his first game since moving from the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Said Celtics coach Ime Udoka: "He did what he's done and what I've seen in the past. You don't miss a beat with him out there."

The 27-year-old guard added: "It was all pretty crazy. I was pretty shocked. I didn't see it coming. But as soon as I got here, I got excited.''

Nikola Jokic paced Denver (30-25) with 23 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Aaron Gordon scored 17 points, Facundo Campazzo had 14, Will Barton added 13 and Bones Hyland had 10.

Jokic has recorded a triple-double in eight of his past 14 games for Denver, who have lost four of their last six games. Said the National Basketball Association's (NBA) reigning Most Valuable Player: "It happens to us every night.

"Some nights are better, some nights are worse... We didn't put ourselves in good positions," added the Serb, who had nine turnovers.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, DeMar DeRozan continued his hot streak with 35 points, six rebounds and six assists to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 134-122 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

It marked the fifth straight game in which DeRozan has topped 30 points. He is averaging 37 points during the stretch. The win sees the Bulls move within one game of leaders the Miami Heat in the East.

A few rungs lower in fifth, Joel Embiid, the NBA's scoring leader, is also on fire for the Philadelphia 76ers, racking up 25 points and 19 rebounds to lead his team to a 100-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His new All-Star teammate James Harden was unavailable to make his bow as he has not completed his physical exam.

REUTERS