The Celtics and Nuggets once again met up in what was a highly-anticipated matchup Thursday. That’s no surprise considering the C’s hold the best record in the NBA while the Nuggets are defending champs. Right from tipoff, the Ball Arena crowd was buzzing in what was a playoff-like atmosphere.
So while the Nuggets came away with the victory over the C’s, the game itself was competitive. The Nuggets looked like they were going to pull away only for the Celtics to make it a close game late. But the C’s had too many of their own mistakes in the 115-109 loss Thursday in Denver. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic broke down why the C’s are such a team after the game.
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“They have basically answers for everything,” Jokic said. “Matchup-wise, defense-wise, offense-wise. They are a really well-built team, and they’re playing really good. That’s why they’re the best team in the NBA right now. It’s really hard to play against a team who, they’re long, tall, they defend really good. They have really smart players. It’s a great team.”
The Celtics will now look to bounce back after two straight losses — it’s just the second time this season they’re on a losing streak. The setbacks have been tough but they’re still 48-14 on the season and have a 7.5-game lead on the second-place Bucks. So while the C’s can’t relax as there are still games left, the reality is that they gained some learning lessons in the loss.
There were some positives for the C’s like Jaylen Brown’s 41-point night. But the mistakes were too much as they were just 16-for-25 from the free throw line as Brown went 7-for-14 there. They also had 12 turnovers and shot just 11-for-38 from 3-point land. So the C’s will look to regroup starting with their next game in Phoenix on Saturday.
“Against that team, that’s why no lead is safe,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The way they shoot the ball, they can get back into the game in a hurry.”
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