DENVER – The Celtics were savvy enough to not let Saturday’s game with the Denver Nuggets get out of hand.

They were precise enough to get stops while Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett drained jumpers for a late comeback.

What burned them in a 98-91 loss was the season-long issue of rebounding.

The league’s worst rebounding team was practically outdone by one man, rookie Kenneth Faried, who wowed college basketball observers this time last year with his menacing rebounding for Morehead State.

In just 23 minutes 36 seconds against the Celtics, Faried scored 18 points and chased down 16 rebounds, including several down the stretch, thwarting the Celtics’ furious rally.

Faried drained six free throws in the final 3:51 and Pierce fouled out after clipping him on an offensive rebound.

Finally, when the Celtics desperately needed a stop, Denver’s Ty Lawson buried a 3-pointer in the corner for a 92-87 lead with three minutes left.

Trailing by 3 with just under a minute left, the Celtics were unable to spring open Ray Allen and Brandon Bass had to settle for a 18-footer that missed.

An inspired fourth-quarter effort was wasted, and Celtics coach Doc Rivers was encouraged by the resurgence and enraged that it didn’t occur until the fourth quarter.

“Like I told them, you can’t ease yourself into a game and then decide to join the war in the third and fourth quarter,’’ said Rivers, whose team trailed by 12 after three quarters. “You could see us, we’re a different team in the fourth quarter, we played with spirit and fight, that’s how we’ve been playing. That’s who we are. I was a little upset after the game because we can’t show up and play that way and then turn it on.’’