BOSTON -- Denver coach Michael Malone vowed after Saturday night's terrible loss in Detroit to have his team get off to better starts in games.

He followed that up with a team meeting Sunday morning -- and his team responded.

"We had a real heart-to-heart meeting this morning in the hotel," Malone said after the Nuggets posted a 123-107 road blowout of the undermanned Boston Celtics. "Talked about who we are, who we've been, and where we need to get better. I challenged them before the game with two goals; let's go out there and win the first quarter and when the game is over, regardless of the result, walk in here proud of how we competed and executed. I think the mission was accomplished on both fronts.

"Hell of a road win, on the road against a good team. Third game in four nights. We showed a lot of character tonight."

Emmanuel Mudiay erupted for 24 of his career high-matching 30 points in the first quarter and Wilson Chandler scored 15 of his 22 in the second to lift the Nuggets, who trailed only 2-0.

The win snapped a six-game TD Garden losing streak for the Nuggets, who won for only the third time in their last 19 visits.

Mudiay, who went 0-for-7 from the floor in Saturday night's 109-86 loss at Detroit, was 9-for-10 in the opening quarter, 3-for-6 from 3-point range. He came into the game 19-for-70 overall for the season, 3-for-15 from behind the arc.

Mudiay outscored the Celtics 24-23 in the first quarter.

"I was so happy and proud of Emmanuel," said Malone. "He had been struggling, I know it hadn't' been easy for him. For him to come out and have the game that he had tonight, I couldn't' be happier for him because it was a special night for him.

"I saw an aggressive, confident young man out there who took the game over. Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, they're one of the better backcourts in the NBA. Granted they have injuries right now ... but Emmanuel's mindset to start the game was he imposed his will from the jump ball. That's who he needs to be every night."

Said Mudiay: "I think one thing that I've learned from last year in this league is there's always another game, always another game so you can't think about the last one."

Chandler didn't score in the first but took over for Mudiay in the second, as Denver (3-3) built up a 25-point lead in the first half and then held off any attempts for the Celtics to rally. Boston could get no closer than 15 in the second half. Chandler left with a hamstring injury but Malone didn't think it was serious.

The Celtics, who have lost 57 straight games when trailing by at least 20 points (38 under Brad Stevens), left to a chorus of boos trailing by 25 points, and yielding 77, at the half -- to a team that scored 86 in an entire game Saturday.

Boston (3-3 with two straight losses) was missing starters Al Horford (concussion) and Jae Crowder (ankle), while Kelly Olynyk is still waiting to make his season debut after shoulder surgery.

Isaiah Thomas tried to keep the Celtics competitive, scoring season high-matching 30 points -- and he has at least 23 in each of the first six games of the season.

"We're not as good as we thought we were," said Thomas. "When we don't come out with a sense of urgency, we're not a good team. That's what happened tonight."

Saturday night in Detroit, the Nuggets fell behind 10-0 and trailed 29-12 at the end of the first quarter. They never caught up and Malone said he would change his starting lineup.

The only change turned out to be Gary Harris for Jamal Murray and this time it took Denver 4:10 to get past the 12 points scored in the first 12 minutes Saturday. Mudiay scored five early and then caught fire later in the quarter.

Danilo Gallinari scored 16 points, Harris posted 12 and Kenneth Faried came off the bench with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Avery Bradley scored 14 points and Marcus Smart 13 for the Celtics, who also got a career-high eight points off the bench from little-used Jordan Mickey, while Demetrius Jackson scored his first eight NBA points in his debut.

NOTES: Boston C Kelly Olynyk, officially questionable to make his 2106-17 debut after offseason surgery, was again out, joining teammates Al Horford (concussion) and F Jae Crowder (ankle) on the sidelines. Olynyk was working out on the floor before the Celtics came out for pre-game warmups. "I think he's getting really close," said Boston coach Brad Stevens. ... G Will Barton (ankle) remained out for the Nuggets. ... The Celtics swept the two-game season series with Denver each of the last two seasons. ... The Nuggets, who have played only one home game, finish their five-game road trip Tuesday night at Memphis, while the Celtics visit Washington Wednesday and will be in the D.C. hotel rooms on Election Night.