The next-man-up Nuggets continued to step up in a second straight win to cap the longest road trip of Denver’s season.

Here are five takeaways from Denver’s 114-110 win over the Celtics on Wednesday at TD Garden:

1. It’s a lot easier to say there’s trust in teammates regardless of missing three rotation players than it is to walk the walk. Jamal Murray’s trust in his teammates is the most impressive part of his last two games. Denver’s starting point guard has set career highs in assists with 16 and 17 in the last two games he’s played. With defenses preparing for Murray to be the top option, he’s made smart reads and found his teammates whether it’s Peyton Watson for a corner 3 of Zeke Nnaji around the basket instead of forcing his own offense. Murray further solidified his All-Star case after winning a head-to-head battle with Jaylen Brown, whose 33 points were offset by seven turnovers. Murray scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and committed just two turnovers, while leading his team to a win over a top-three team in the Eastern Conference.

2. Though they returned on the same day, Aaron Gordon looks a little more himself than Christian Braun. Denver’s being more careful with Gordon, who once again came off the bench, while Braun’s been back in the starting lineup in both games since the return. Both were supposedly under a minutes restriction, but Braun played nearly 30 minutes to Gordon’s 23 in Boston. Braun either doesn’t have his usual burst back yet or doesn’t completely trust the left ankle he sprained in November. Gordon appeared to be moving more comfortably. Denver’s hope is Braun’s big-time 3 in the final 6 minutes will help Braun feel more like himself heading into Friday’s game.

3. Those who want the Nuggets to do whatever to retain Peyton Watson and those who would rather the team sell high ahead of the deadline each had portions of Wednesday’s game help their case. Watson scored 30 points for the second time of his career, made a career-high six 3-pointers and blocked two shots against the Celtics. He also went 50% on eight free throws, fouled a 3-point shooter and gave up a three-point play all in the final minute. The pluses have exceeded the minuses, as Watson has scored 21 or more points in the last five games, but each option comes with risk. Not trading Watson might mean losing him for nothing in the summer if another team offers the high-upside, 23-year-old wing a contract Denver is unwilling to match or needing to trade a teammate to create the salary-cap space to keep Watson in Denver. Trading him might mean Denver watches Watson reach his full potential from afar with nothing to show for the gamble.

4. It’s a safe bet other executives around the NBA are going to receive tape of Zeke Nnaji’s last two games. Nnaji followed up his best game of the season Monday in Philadelphia with another impactful performance against the Celtics. Nnaji finished with 12 points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Denver won his 25 minutes by six points. Nnaji’s contract, which features a player option for the 2027-28 season, has long been considered a negative asset around the NBA. As good as the last two games have been, they won’t be enough to change executives’ minds, but if Nnaji can keep it up until Jonas Valanciunas and Nikola Jokic come back, it might be easier for Denver to make a move at the deadline.

5. The Hawks are going to look a lot different Friday. Atlanta traded star guard Trae Young to his preferred destination, Washington, for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The Nuggets won’t have a chance to scout Atlanta’s new-look rotation before Friday’s game at Ball Arena. That probably increased the degree of difficulty for Denver, as Atlanta will have five full games to analyze how the Nuggets operate without Jokic.

NUGGETS 114, CELTICS 110

What happened: Boston started the second quarter with a four-point advantage, but Denver tied it at 58 by halftime. The Celtics regained a three-point lead by the end of the third, but Denver 35-point fourth quarter was enough to flip the script.

What went right: Despite being short handed, Denver’s bench outscored Boston’s 49-31. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Denver’s bench with 14 points, while Aaron Gordon and Zeke Nnaji added 12 apiece.

What went wrong: Spencer Jones missed the second half with what the Nuggets called left foot soreness. Bruce Brown started the third quarter in place of Jones.

Highlight of the night: Nnaji slipped a screen, rolled into the middle of the lane, caught a sharp pass from Murray and elevated for a strong, two-handed slam over Derrick White. The biggest play of Nnaji’s night put Denver up nine with 4:30 left in the final quarter.

Up next: The Nuggets are finally headed back to Denver for Friday’s game against the Hawks.