The Boston Celtics traveled to Denver to face the Nuggets Wednesday night time. Boston had been surging up the facility rankings with a blistering month of February and confronted off in opposition to the fourth positioned Nuggets. Boston performed an honest sufficient first half, however they may not grasp with Denver within the second and ultimately shedding by 19 factors, 103-84. Jaylen Brown had 23 factors and 11 boards. Derrick White chipped in 20 factors and three blocks for the street group.
Jaylen Brown returned to the beginning lineup alongside Baylor Scheierman, White, Neemias Queta, and Sam Hauser after an evening off in Phoenix final night time in opposition to the Suns. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Julian Strawther, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun began for the house group. The Nuggets got here into the sport searching for a house win after shedding to the Warriors on Sunday afternoon.
Murray scored the sport’s first factors on a again minimize to the basket. Queta got here proper again down the opposite finish for a loud tomahawk dunk to get the C’s on the board. Scheierman laced his first three-point try on a step-back trey over Murray.
Each groups traded buckets early within the quarter, and it was 10-10 on the 7-minute mark of the primary. Vucevic entered the sport alongside Queta as a double-big lineup; Hauser was first to the bench for Boston. Jaylen Brown was aggressive early and appeared to assault the paint on consecutive journeys down the ground. Brown led the C’s with 9 early factors as Boston opened up a 16-13 lead with 5 minutes remaining within the first.
A Christian Braun triple noticed one other tied rating as Ron Harper Jr. obtained some early minutes alongside Hugo Gonzalez, Brown, Pritchard, and Vooch. Jokic misfired on a three-pointer however backed it up inside with a twirling hook shot over Vucevic.
Boston’s ball motion was excellent to start out the sport because the C’s swung the ball round the important thing to JB, who rattled dwelling his twelfth level of the quarter on his first three-point make. Boston took a 24-21 lead on the finish of the primary quarter. Boston was simply 3 of 11 from three within the first, taking pictures simply 27 p.c from past the arc. Queta had an honest quarter with 6 factors within the first quarter.
Derrick White drained two consecutive occasions down the court docket for Boston to start out the second quarter. The hometown White, was actively concerned in all of the performs with dimes and scores as Jaylen Brown obtained a seat on the bench to start out the 2nd quarter. White rattled off 8 fast factors to start out the second quarter as Boston took an early 8-point lead, 36-28.
Denver had a number of offensive rebounds to get additional possessions, however the Nuggets minimize the lead again to simply 2 factors. Jaylen Brown returned to motion on the seven minute mark after a TV timeout. White laced his third triple of the quarter in entrance of his dad and mom because the C’s saved the stress on Denver.
Denver hit the lead on the 5 minute mark of the second, 40-39, Jokic was fouled on a deep two pointer however couldn’t convert both of his two free throw makes an attempt. Jaylen Brown scored his first factors of the second quarter with a mid vary fade away with 2 minutes to go within the half. The tempo of play had slowed proper all the way down to a crawl halfway by the second quarter as each groups struggled to transform at both finish.
Vucevic missed a straight on deep three-pointer, Derrick White slipped into the lane and grabbed the offensive board and transformed a simple stick again for his fifteenth level of the sport. White drained his fourth three of the sport simply earlier than the half time break, Boston up by one level, 48-47, because of Derrick White’s sizzling 2nd quarter efficiency.
Brown got here out pumped up initially of the second half, instantly going to the low block and bodied up Strawther as he went by the defenders chest. Brown ran the court docket the following play and attacked the rim drawing one other foul, this time on Cam Johnson. Scheierman transformed his second triple from the deep wing as Boston took a fast four-point lead within the third quarter.
Denver obtained into early foul hassle to start out the second half, each groups continued to wrestle taking pictures the ball, Boston was 40 p.c examine to Denver, at simply 35 p.c. Jokic was settling for three-pointers all night time and the massive man was 2-10 from deep on the six minute mark of the third. Boston went scoreless for two minutes, as they watched Jokic hit 5 straight factors to take give the house group a 64-61 lead.
Brown had a superb chase down block on Simpson, JB ran the court docket and fed Vucevic for the alley oop tip in. Brown saved the stress on the Nuggets wings drilling a two-pointer on a step again jumper after which drawing a foul on Braun who hit Brown from behind. Tim Hardaway Jr gave the Nugs some power from the bench within the third, hitting a pair of photographs, Denver up 70-67.
Boston began to point out fatigue in the course of the third, on the second night time of a back-to-back, Denver’s hustle sporting down the street group at altitude. The Nuggets ended the quarter up by 10 factors, 77-67, their largest lead of the sport, with 12 minutes of regulation to play.
Denver went on a 15-0 run which just about sealed it. Scheierman stepped out of court docket and later had a three-pointer overruled. Boston’s tried clear sweep of the West Coast ended as they went down by a large margin managing to shoot a paltry 33% from the sector, and recorded 11 turnovers on the night time. Danilo Banton and Luka Garza obtained some run within the ultimate 5 minutes of play as Coach Mazzulla waved the white flag and obtained White and Brown out of the sport for good.
Boston would drop simply their second sport of February and now return dwelling to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night time, 7:30 pm EST.
