The Celtics lose back-to-back video games for the primary time since November after falling to the defending champions, 115-109, at Ball Area. Denver led the Celtics for nearly the whole lot of the ball recreation, although the Celtics had the prospect to take the lead with 40 seconds to play when a Jayson Tatum three-pointer fell brief.
It was a playoff-like environment from the leap, with the Nuggets and Celtics each trying to keep away from dropping two in a row after every dropped a tricky match-up on Tuesday evening.
From the beginning, it was the Jaylen Brown present for Boston – Brown had 22 factors and eight rebounds within the first half, and ended the evening with season-high 41 factors (16-29 FG) to associate with 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and three steals. He struggled from the free throw line, nonetheless, making simply 7 of 14 makes an attempt, and the Celtics as a workforce shot simply 16-25 from the stripe.
For Denver, Nikola Jokic commanded the sport from begin to end – he ended the evening with 32 factors, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds, and the Celtics have been by no means capable of finding a solution for him defensively.
Kristaps Porzingis struggled to include the two-time MVP, whereas Aaron Gordon added 16 factors (8-15 FG) and 9 rebounds, and made a number of key performs down the stretch. Jamal Murray scored 19 factors on 7-18 taking pictures, but additionally turned it over 5 occasions.
For Boston, outdoors of Brown, a lot of the workforce had comparatively inefficient performances; Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 factors on 9-23 FG, however missed a number of midrange makes an attempt which might be normally computerized.
Jayson Tatum had a quiet evening; he completed with 15 factors (5-13 FG) and eight assists, but additionally had 5 turnovers.
“I believed he was simply taking what the protection gave him,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned of Tatum’s efficiency after the sport. “Jaylen had an amazing recreation.”
Derrick White had simply 7 factors on 3-8 makes an attempt, and the Celtics bench mixed for simply 10 factors — 6 for Sam Hauser, 2 for Payton Pritchard, and a couple of for Al Horford.
The Celtics trailed by 2 after one, 8 on the half, and 10 going into the ultimate interval – a uncommon recreation that they spent nearly the whole lot of behind. Within the fourth quarter, that they had a number of alternatives to chop the deficit, however have been by no means capable of recover from the hump. Again-to-back three-pointers by Jrue Vacation reduce it to 2 with a minute to play — he completed the evening with 12 factors.
The Celtics had the prospect to take the lead after Jaylen Brown stole the ball from Jamal Murray with 50 seconds to play — however a wide-open nook three from Jayson Tatum fell brief. Then, a Nikola Jokic — Aaron Gordon alley-oop reduce put the Nuggets forward for good.
It was an emotional recreation on either side; 4 technicals have been issued on the evening – one on Jaylen Brown within the first quarter, one on Kristaps Porzingis within the second, and two on the Nuggets within the fourth quarter.
Whereas the Celtics fell wanting a fourth-quarter come-back, Mazzulla mentioned postgame he favored Tatum’s look down the stretch and famous the truth that Boston had 13 offensive rebounds.
“I be ok with the place we’re at and what we have to work on,” Mazzulla mentioned.
With the loss, the Celtics fall to 0-2 on the street journey. They’ll have an opportunity to get again within the win column on Saturday evening in Phoenix.
