LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Nikola Jokic bagged his 20th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets held off the Boston Celtics, 115-109, in their heavyweight National Basketball Association showdown on Thursday.

The eagerly anticipated clash between the reigning NBA champions and Eastern Conference-leading Celtics lived up to the billing in a hard-fought duel in Denver.

Denver talisman Jokic finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists while Jamal Murray finished with 19 points and Aaron Gordon 16.

The win gave Denver a clean sweep over Boston in their meetings this season.

The Celtics, beaten by Cleveland on Tuesday, suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since early November.

Jokic, meanwhile, played down the significance of the result, brushing off suggestions that Thursday's showdown could be a preview of the NBA Finals.

"We're a long way from the finals, my friend," the Serbian said in an on-court interview after the win.

"We had a really good energy tonight, our offense was really clicking today."

Boston, meanwhile, was left to reflect on a loss that came despite a 41-point performance from Jaylen Brown, who shot 16-of-29 from the field.

Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points but Jayson Tatum was restricted to 15 points.