Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 69 points as the Denver Nuggets ended Boston's unbeaten home start to the season with a thrilling 102-100 victory on Friday.

A heavyweight showdown between the reigning NBA champions and a league-leading Celtics side lived up to the billing in a gripping battle at Boston's TD Garden.

Denver's victory snapped Boston's 20-game unbeaten run at home this season, the Nuggets laying down a psychological marker in what could well turn out to be a possible NBA Finals preview.

Both two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic and Murray were in scintillating form throughout.

Jokic finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists while Murray led the Nuggets scoring 35 points from 15-of-21 shooting.

"During the season you've got to find ways of motivating yourself and your team, and them not having a loss at home really motivated us," Murray said afterward.

"We just wanted to come here and bring the right energy regardless. It was good to get a dub (win) today," added Murray, who also had eight rebounds and five assists.

"They've got a great team, a lot of guys I'm familiar with that I've been playing with or against my whole life — just a lot of fun when it gets competitive and physical like that. Just a really good win on the road."

Derrick White led Boston's scoring with 24 points while Jayson Tatum added 22 and Kristaps Porzingis 21.

For long periods of Friday's titanic battle, it looked as if Boston would escape with their unbeaten home record intact in a game that saw the lead change hands 13 times.

The Celtics built a hefty 12-point lead during the second quarter with Tatum scoring 10 points and Jaylen Brown adding seven.

But Denver always managed to claw their way back into the contest and edged ahead 99-98 with 3min 36sec remaining after Jokic's driving hook shot.