10 takeaways from a stifling defensive win over Jokic and the Nuggets

On February 22nd, the Lakers found a way to disrupt the Denver Nuggets’ offensive flow around Jokic despite their lack of size. They did so by limiting his touches in the paint. Since Jokic is the most efficient player within the two-point area, the further he receives the ball, the better. Therefore, like the Lakers, the Celtics put in a lot of effort to make it as difficult as possible for him to get the ball.

Once Jokic had the ball, the Celtics sent multiple players to him, ensuring layups were impossible and driving lanes were closed. Since the Nuggets surrounded Nikola Jokic with athletic players who aren’t reliable shooters, the Celtics wanted to make sure there were no drives and no cuts to the rim.

Instead, the Celtics were willing to give up threes—even open threes. Against Boston, the Denver Nuggets attempted more three-pointers than usual (40% three-point frequency in Boston vs. 30% season average). On the other end, the Celtics closed the paint so well that Denver attempted only 22% of their shots at the rim (compared to 38% on average this season).

Overall, the Denver Nuggets were limited to 111 points per 100 possessions, far below their season average of 121. If you want to dig deeper, Adam Taylor did a full breakdown on the Celtics defense in his latest.

#2 – Al Horford’s defensive masterpiece

To slow down the Denver Nuggets, the Celtics needed a defensive anchor to build their wall around—and that was Al Horford. The veteran was the secret ingredient that solidified the defense.

When matched up with Jokic, Horford did a great job slowing him down and forcing him into tough positions. Jokic is one of the best players at making difficult shots, but Horford found a way to defend him well without fouling.

Off the ball, Horford was active on the back end of the defense, disrupting passing lanes. Against Jokic, it’s essential to interrupt off-ball movement and limit his passing options, as he can find an open player from any position.

On top of contesting shots, grabbing three steals, and creating transition opportunities through rebounding, Horford was able to switch onto smaller players. Of course, he got scored on at times, but he consistently forced contested shots.

#3 – Jaylen Brown hunting Jamal Murray

Another game, another defensive target for the Celtics. This time, the green army went after Jamal Murray. While Murray isn’t the smallest player on the court, forcing him into defensive actions drains his energy, which impacts his offense. Jaylen Brown relentlessly attacked him, creating drives and forcing him to defend on the ball.

Despite dealing with knee discomfort, Jaylen Brown dominated the matchup, scoring 22 points and generating nine free-throw attempts—a strong mark for him. His improved post-up game has been a key asset this season, allowing him to turn his back to the basket and overpower defenders in such situations.

As Brown mentioned in the press conference, he was short on a few shots, but overall, he put Jamal Murray in a tough position. However, it was also noticeable that Denver was willing to leave Murray on an island rather than send help, which directly impacted the Celtics’ shooting balance.

#4 – Celtics’ three-point volume

The Denver Nuggets did a great job limiting the Celtics’ three-point attempts. Despite missing Aaron Gordon and being built around a non-traditional big man, the Nuggets excel at closing gaps and forcing Boston into more mid-range shots than usual.

As Jaylen Brown noted, some teams prefer to “stay home” and avoid bringing an extra defender to help—even if there’s a mismatch. This often turns a mismatch into a post-up or a contested drive rather than an open shot created from a pass out of double coverage.

Because teams aren’t sending extra defenders to stop the Celtics’ best scorers, it’s harder to find open three-pointers. This raises an important question with no definitive answer—what’s the better strategy? Living with three-pointers or accepting constant one-on-one punishment? Time will tell what opposing teams are willing to concede against the Celtics.

#5 – Luke Kornet as a connector

Nonetheless, the Denver Nuggets occasionally left space open, and Luke Kornet took advantage. Kornet is what we like to call a connector—a player who may not create gaps himself but is adept at maintaining offensive flow once he gets the ball. A great example:

When he received the ball on the short roll, he faced a four-on-three situation—created by Jayson Tatum’s gravity in the pick-and-roll. Four defenders against three offensive players means someone is open, and a good connector finds that player. A great connector finds him quickly and in an ideal position. In the example above, the ball moved swiftly to Horford, who was positioned under the basket.

In the next example, Kornet started the action in the slot—despite not being a three-point shooter. However, because he is a great connector, he exploited the gap created by Payton Pritchard, flowing into a handoff with Hauser. This movement triggered a reaction from the low man, freeing up Horford under the basket once again. Kornet found him immediately.

#6 – Kornet on Westbrook

However, Kornet’s impact extended beyond offense. Once again, he was assigned to a point guard with no shooting threat—this time Russell Westbrook—and once again, the strategy worked well. Of course, this approach depends on whether the ignored player makes the Celtics pay.

Yet, the goal is to live with variance and protect the paint at all costs, as mentioned earlier in this article. Kornet’s ability to control space with his size, length, and positional awareness is crucial to Joe Mazzulla’s creative defensive schemes. Once again, Mazzulla showed he’s more than just an offensive mastermind—he can construct elite defensive strategies as well.

#7 – Transition defense

Speaking of defense, it’s important to note that Boston’s transition defense was on point despite Denver recording 11 steals. The Nuggets managed only 89 points per 100 possessions in transition, an impressively low mark given how efficient transition offense is supposed to be.

Throughout most of the game, the Celtics were disciplined defensively—well, almost the whole game.

#8 – Denver’s late third-quarter run

The Celtics once again flirted with allowing a comeback, mirroring their slow finish to the first half. This stretch was a great example of how difficult it is to defend the Nuggets, the second-best offense in the NBA this season. In the final minutes of the third quarter, Boston allowed Denver to return to their usual actions featuring Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.

In just a few minutes, the Celtics’ lead disappeared, and Denver clawed their way back before the final quarter. However, this time, Boston didn’t let another comeback happen. They entered the fourth quarter focused, shutting down Denver’s hopes.

#9 – Pick-and-roll struggles

I’ve been vocal about how much the Celtics need to rely on Jayson Tatum’s pick-and-rolls to generate offense. However, this game wasn’t the best example. Tatum lost the ball five times in pick-and-roll situations. Mike Malone’s game plan was to apply pressure with hedge coverage, sending two defenders at Tatum after he used the screen:

Even though he struggled with turnovers and scoring from these actions, he still created for his teammates. In the example below, a staggered ball screen pulled three defenders onto him, freeing up Derrick White in the corner. As soon as White was open, Tatum found him for a three-pointer.

Even on an off night, this simple action remained effective.

#10 – First win against Jokic since 2022

Even though Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t mention Jokic in the game plan, it must feel good for the team and coaching staff to finally beat the best player in the league.