The Denver Nuggets opened the second half of the NBA season with a bang, defeating the Boston Celtics 97-90 in a rugged contest at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets outrebounded the Celtics 46-39 and held Paul Pierce to 10 points and 2-for-14 shooting on the night. Offensively, Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson each scored 26 points to lead the way to the win. The victory snapped a three-game losing skid for the Nuggets, who are 34-21 on the season. They visit the Washington Wizards on Friday.