DENVER - Down the stretch, Avery Bradley couldnt miss.Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and a jumper to help secure the lead in the final 1:24, and the Boston Celtics hung on to beat Denver 100-99 on Friday night, sending the Nuggets to their fifth loss in a row.He hit two big ones, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Avery, who finished with 18 points. The 3 he hit in the corner was a really tough shot. When he gets that rhythm, step-in shot, hes usually pretty good at it.The Nuggets played without star guard Ty Lawson, who was away from the team for what the club said were personal reasons following his arrest earlier Friday for allegedly driving under the influence.Jameer Nelson, acquired from Boston in exchange for Nate Robinson in a trade Jan. 13, had 23 points in his first start for the Nuggets in place of Lawson. But with Tayshaun Prince guarding him tightly, he missed a mid-range jumper at the buzzer that would have beaten his former team.Tayshaun is known as a good defender his entire career, Nelson said. He forced me to take a tough shot. Could I have gotten a better one? Maybe. It was a good look. I got the separation that I needed. Ive just got to make the shot, make the play. I felt good. It looked good. You just make some and you miss some. Move on to the next game.Brandon Bass had 17 points and Jared Sullinger 14 for the Celtics, who won consecutive games for the first time since winning three straight in mid-December. They beat Portland on the front end of their back-to-back set on Thursday on a last-second 3-pointer by Evan Turner.Its great from a progress standpoint, Stevens said. Theyre both close games, theyre one-point games. They both came down to the last shot. As history suggests, this is a difficult game to get on the second of a back-to-back.Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said the loss notwithstanding, he liked the way his team scrapped.I feel like we should have won regardless of all the circumstances surrounding this game, but you can feel better about a loss when you have that effort, Shaw said.Arron Afflalo added 20 points for Denver, and J.J. Hickson had 15.Boston trailed by as many as 12 points midway through the third quarter, but fought back to tie it at 67 on a 3-pointer by Marcus Smart. The Celtics led 75-74 going into the fourth quarter on Marcus Thorntons jumper in the lane.Trailing 86-80, the Nuggets used a 7-0 run — capped by Nelsons 3-pointer — to take an 87-86 lead with 6:24 remaining. The game remained tight in the waning minutes.Bradley hit a 3-pointer from the corner over Afflalo to put Boston up 98-96 with 1:24 left. Wilson Chandler made one of two free throws for Denver, but Bradley answered by connecting on a jumper.I was able to make some shots because my teammates were able to get me open, Bradley said. We were able to execute. I felt like we were able to get stops at the other end. We forced them to take tough shots and we were able to convert on the other end.With 14.7 seconds left, Hickson put in a layup to get the Nuggets back within a point. Turner was fouled and missed both free throws, leaving an opening for the Nuggets. But Nelsons last-second jumper, shot under intense defensive pressure, was off the mark.After Turners driving layup gave Boston a 42-41 lead, the Nuggets scored seven consecutive points over the final 2:19 of the second quarter to take a 48-42 halftime lead. Nelson touched off the spurt with a hook shot.TIP-INSCeltics: F Kelly Olynyk returned to Boston to have his sprained right ankle examined after sustaining the injury the night before in Bostons win at Portland on Thursday. Stevens said Olynyk will not rejoin the team on the road trip.Nuggets: C JaVale McGee suited up, but missed his 24th straight game because of a lower left leg strain. However, team officials say hes closing in on a return. McGee missed all but five games last season with a stress fracture in the same area. ... F Danilo Gallinari was back in action after missing four weeks with a meniscus tear in his right knee.UP NEXTCeltics: play at Golden State on Sunday nightNuggets: host Washington on Sunday night Christian Kirk Jersey . With one week left in the regular season, Cornish - voted The Toughest Player To Bring Down - is a leading candidate for the CFLs Most Outstanding Player award. 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In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Watch the 2014 NBA Draft on TSN, Thursday at 7pm et/4pm pt.Cagliari president Massimo Cellinos chances of taking over fallen English power Leeds were hurt by a tax evasion conviction on Tuesday. Cellino was ordered by a judge to pay a 600,000 euro ($800,000) fine for evading import taxes on a yacht he purchased in the United States and brought to Italy, the ANSA news agency reported. Eleonora Sport Ltd., which is run by the Cellino family, has been awaiting approval to purchase a 75 per cent stake in Leeds. However, the Football Leagues "owners and directors test" prevents anyonee with a court conviction from being a director, a 30 per cent owner, or from exercising control over one of its clubs.dddddddddddd A Football League statement said it had noted the outcome of the hearing involving Cellino. "We are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with his legal representatives in this country and cannot comment further at this time," a league spokesman said. Cellino denies wrongdoing and will probably appeal. Last year, Cellino was arrested as part of a stadium construction investigation. ' ' '