NBA: Celtics stage late rally to beat Nuggets for seventh win in a row

(REUTERS, AFP) - Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Marcus Smart added 22 as the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games with a 108-102 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday (Feb 11).

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.

Celtics guard Derrick White contributed 15 points and six rebounds off the bench in his first game since being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday (Feb 10).

Nikola Jokic paced Denver 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.

White's layup put Boston ahead 100-97 with 1:59 left, and the Celtics hit four straight foul shots to extend the lead to seven with 40 seconds remaining.

After the Nuggets pulled within 104-99 on Jokic's basket with 31 seconds left, Boston secured their fourth straight home victory at the foul line.

Denver took an early 11-point lead with 4:54 left in the first quarter before Boston closed on a 15-6 run to cut the deficit to 32-30.

Gordon and Campazzo scored a combined 22 points in the first half for Denver, who held a 60-51 advantage at the break. Smart finished with five rebounds and seven assists for Boston, who moved ahead 69-65 after his basket with 5:09 left in the third quarter capped a 15-2 run.

Denver closed the period with seven straight points and carried a 79-76 lead into the final quarter. Boston regained the lead at 92-90 with 7:19 left in the contest after Tatum's technical free throw capped an 11-2 run. Jokic tied the game at 95 by making one of his three three-pointers with 5:28 remaining.

In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid poured in 25 points and 19 rebounds to power the 76ers to a 100-87 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Embiid, who also had five blocks and four assists in front of the crowd of 20,600 at Wells Fargo Centre, recorded his 22nd straight game with at least 25 points.

Philadelphia played their first game since making a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday (Feb 10) that saw former league MVP James Harden join his third team in the last two years.

Philadelphia sent Australia's Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and two first-round draft picks to the Nets for Harden and Paul Millsap. Since the players haven't completed their physicals, the 76ers played without all five, leaving them short-handed. Simmons, of Melbourne, has yet to play in a game this season.