The Denver Nuggets defeated the Boston Celtics, 123-111, at Ball Arena on Sunday.

The Nuggets (24-12) and the Celtics (26-11) engaged in a battle that could very well be an NBA Finals preview, but the Western Conference outfit prevailed and secured the win in front of their fans, pushing their home record to 14-3 while Boston fell to 11-6 on the road. Denver looked dominant in the early going and quickly established dominance following a 37-28 score in the opening 12 minutes, and that would set the tone for the rest of the game. The Celtics made it an eight-point game after a 26-25 score in the second quarter, but Denver recovered the control of the contest following a 36-31 score in the third quarter, essentially icing out the game and putting it out of Boston’s reach. The Celtics never stopped fighting and won the final quarter by a 26-25 score, but that was not enough to mount a comeback and Denver secured the win with ease.

Nikola Jokic led the way for the Nuggets with a triple-double, as he finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, while Bruce Brown finished with a strong 21-point performance. Aaron Gordon racked up 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, and Michael Porter notched 19 points with four boards. Bones Hyland posted 17 points across 19 minutes coming off the bench.

Only three Boston players scored in double digits in this game, and Jaylen Brown was the one who led the way in the losing cause with 30 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Jayson Tatum notched 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Derrick White posted 13 points and three assists. Al Horford had eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Marcus Smart dished out seven dimes.