Game One of a 5 game western road trip that will be played out over seven nights saw the return of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics lineup in a limited roll. But it wasn’t enough for the Green as the Denver Nuggets became the first Western Conference team to beat them this season in 17 tries, 124-118 at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night.
The Celtics, who hung tough and wouldn’t go away, just couldn’t pull it off at the end. They were led by Paul Pierce who had 24 points, 6 boards and 7 assists, Rajon Rondo who had 22 points before fouling out in the last minute and Ray Allen added 20 points. Garnett, who played for the first time in 10 games, finished with 4 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes of playing time.
The Nuggets, who had 49 free throws the most this season by a Celtics opponent, were led by Carmelo Anthony who had 29 points, Allen Iverson who had 28 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists and Kenyon Martin who had 19 points. Hartford CT native Marcus Camby had 11 points, 13 rebounds and 9 blocks.
The Celtics (41-10) continue their west coast swing tomorrow against Golden State when they take on the Warriors.
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