Jokic, Murray help Nuggets end Celtics' unbeaten home run - ESPN

BOSTON — Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic spent the two days leading up to Friday night's clash with the Boston Celtics grieving the death of Golden State Warriors assistant Dejan Milojevic.

He then went out and collected 34 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists in 38 minutes of a 102-100 victory that ended Boston's unbeaten home record (20-0) and honored the legacy of his former coach in their native Serbia in the process.

«As I mentioned to our team after the game, I couldn't be more proud of Nikola for playing the way he played with the tragic passing of Deki,» Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. «That's what you do, though. That's why I'm proud of Nikola. You just lost somebody that you love and you care about that meant a lot to you, that was a mentor and a coach to you.

»So go honor him. You know what I mean? And Nikola went out there, he honored Deki's memory and his legacy by playing at the level played at. Not easy to do with a heavy heart, but Nikola is a special person, obviously, and it was incredible to watch him play with that heavy heart and the level he played at when you consider who we were playing and you add everything else to the mix.

«And that's why Nikola is the best player in the world.»

Jokic is the defending NBA Finals MVP, and the Nuggets are the defending NBA champions. Those are the kinds of honors that Jayson Tatum and the Celtics hope to earn later this year. And this game easily could have been mistaken for one in the Finals due to the combination of high-level play, intensity and a typically raucous Friday night crowd at TD Garden.

The Celtics took a 98-95 lead with 4:58 to go in the fourth quarter, but they missed eight of their final nine shots — with Tatum going 1-for-5, missing the