Denver Nuggets Beat Boston Celtics After Trade Deadline

The Denver Nuggets don't look anything like the same team from last week. After a trade with the Knicks that brought in five new players from two different teams, there are almost more new faces than familiar ones. That didn't stop them from playing stifling defense against a good Boston team. Boston was shorthanded last night after making a deal of their own, sending Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

The Nuggets got a big game from Kenyon Martin, who scored 18 points while missing the second quarter. Martin had the flu coming in to the game and spent the quarter getting IV fluids. Wilson Chandler, one of the new acquisitions, helped with 16 points.

The halftime score was 37-36 in favor of the Nuggets and was their lowest first half score of the season. The lead was cut to one point at the start of the fourth quarter and Boston stole the lead with a little over six minutes left. They would not score again as Denver ended the game on a 16-0 run.

The Celtics seemed to take the loss of Perkins hard, with both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce saying that he will be missed in the locker room and on the court. Pierce compared the trade to Lebron James leaving Cleveland but in reverse, with management taking on the villain's role.