The Celtics begin their 4 game Western part of their 5 game road trip with a stop in Denver to take on the Nuggets. Denver is a tough place to play due to the altitude. The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season and have won the last 6 meetings between these two teams and 7 of the last 10 games between them. This is the 2nd and final game between them this season. The Nuggets won 102-100 on January 19 in Boston.
If any game can be said to be a big game, this one would qualify. The Celtics are coming off a game in which they gave up a 22 point lead and fell asleep down the stretch and completely blew the final play. They are facing the defending champions, who by most reports are favorites to win the Western Conference and return to the Finals this year. The Celtics lost to them by 2 points in Boston and so this is a big game because 1) The Celtics need to get the taste of that Cavs loss out of their mouths, 2) They may face the Nuggets in the Finals and will need to win there then and they need to prove they can, and 3) they need to avenge that January loss to the Nuggets in Boston.
They were 1-1 last season with each team winning on their home court. The Celtics are 60-39 overall all time against the Nuggets and they are 20-29 in games played in Denver. Both teams had long win streaks broken by a loss in their last game. The Nuggets 6 game win streak was broken by a loss at home to the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics 11 game win streak was broken by a loss on the road to the Cavaliers.
The Celtics remain first in the East. They are 8 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 8.5 games ahead of 3rd place Cleveland, 12 games ahead of 4th place Orlando, 12.5 games ahead of 5th place New York, and 13 games ahead of 6th place Miami. They are 19-10 on the road and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They are 15-6 against Western Conference opponents. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Nuggets are 3rd in the West. They are 1 game behind first place Minnesota and 2nd place Oklahoma City. They are 1.5 games ahead of the 4th place Clippers, 5 games ahead of 5th place New Orleans, and 6 games ahead of 6th place Phoenix. They are 24-6 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 18-6 against Eastern Conference teams. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Celtics are playing in the 2nd game of a 5 game road trip. They lost the first game 104-105 in Cleveland on Tuesday. They will continue their Western swing through Phoenix, Portland, and Utah. They will then head home to play Phoenix before one game at Washington and then home games against Detroit and Milwaukee. They then head out on a 6 game road trip.
Denver is playing in the 2nd game of a 4 game home stand. They lost the first game to Phoenix and will host Utah and Toronto before a 4 game road trip through Miami, San Antonio, Dallas and Minnesota. They will play New York at home and then at Portland before a 5 game home stand against Memphis, Phoenix, Minnesota, Cleveland and San Antonio.
Jaylen Brown was questionable with knee soreness before the Cleveland game but ended up playing. He is now questionable for this game with a sacroiliac strain. His status will be a game time decision. If he can’t play, I would expect Sam Hauser to get the start. Neemias Queta is out with a knee injury. For Denver, only Vlatko Cancar is out with a knee injury.
Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Luke Kornet
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Jordan Walsh
Xavier Tillman
Jaden Springer
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta
Injuries/Out
Neemias Queta (knee) out
Jaylen Brown (sacroiliac) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Nuggets Starters
Nuggets Reserves
Christian Braun
Justin Holiday
Reggie Jackson
DeAndre Jordan
Zeke Nnaji
Jalen Pickett
Julian Strawther
Hunter Tyson
Peyton Watson
2 Way Players
Collin Gillespie
Jay Huff
Braxton Key
Out/Injuries
Vlatko Cancar (knee) out
Head Coach
Michael Malone
Key Matchups
Kristaps Porzingis vs Nikola Jokic
Jokic is has won back to back MVP’s and is in the conversation for MVP every season for a reason. He is averaging 25.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 57.9% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. He is a handful and the Celtics need to try to slow him down by any means necessary.
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Jrue Holiday
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
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Jamal Murray
Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images
Jrue Holiday vs Jamal Murray
Murray is averaging 20.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists. He is shooting 47.9% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc. The Celtics will need Jrue Holiday to continue to play well on both ends of the court and they need to defend Murray very well as he can put up points in a hurry both on 3’s and in the paint.
Honorable Mention
Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, Jr
Porter is averaging 16.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. He is shooting 48% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc. Porter is a very good 3 point shooter and so they have to stay with him on the perimeter but he can also score in the paint. Jaylen is questionable for this game and if he can’t play Sam Hauser may start or they may go with double bigs by starting Al Horford.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is the key to winning every game. The Celtics are 2nd with a defensive rating of 110.2 The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 113.0, which is 20th. The Celtics average 118.7 points per game (2nd), while the Nuggets average 113.0 points per game (9th). The Nuggets are 28th in the league in 3 point attempts but 6th with 53.2 points in the paint They do have some good 3 point shooters, but the Celtics need to particularly keep them out of the paint.
Rebound – Rebounding is another key to winning every game. The Celtics are 1st in the league, averaging 47.2 rebounds per game. The Nuggets are 9th in the league with 44.5 rebounds per game. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics have to work harder to grab rebounds to limit the Nuggets second chance points and fast breaks. In their loss in January, the Nuggets out-rebounded them 47-38. They can’t allow the Nuggets to outwork them on the boards again.
Effort and Energy for 48 Minutes – The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to fight for loose balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and just play harder than the Nuggets for the entire game. They have to be the team that wants it more and play like it. They especially have to begin the game with energy and not allow the Nuggets to race out to a big lead and they can’t let up throughout the game. They especially have to come out strong in the 3rd quarter and play hard until the final buzzer.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to keep moving the ball to find the open man and make it much harder to guard them. However, they have to be careful with their passes and not turn the ball over as the Nuggets average 15.1 points per game off turnovers. The Celtics also need to be careful when they dribble the ball and not drive into a crowd and turn the ball over. They need to stay focused on playing the right way.
X-Factors
Mile High on the Road– It’s tough to win in Denver because of the altitude that the teams are playing at. Denver is called the Mile High City because it is 5,280 feet above sea level. Nuggets players are used to the altitude but visiting teams often struggle with playing there and often are fatigued before the end of the game. It is a very unique home court advantage. The Celtics also have to shake off the distractions of travel and playing in front of a hostile crowd.
Officiating – I know that I say this every game, but the officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently whether they call every little ticky tack foul or they let a lot of contact go and let the teams play. Some crews favor the home team and the Celtics need to be ready for that. The Celtics have got to adjust to the way the game is being called and not let the calls affect their focus or their play. They also need to keep their minds on the game and not constantly complain about the calls as that does little to change the calls and only irritates the referees.
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