Kristaps Porzingis had arguably his hardest assignment of the season on Friday, January 15th. The Boston Celtics hosted the defending champion, Denver Nuggets, who were coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Many expected this to be a great game considering this very well could be the NBA Finals matchup this year. Fans got their money’s worth as the Nuggets snapped the Celtics’ 20-game home win streak winning 102-100. It was arguably the game of the year and Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray scored or assisted on 89 of the Nuggets’ points. After the game, Kristaps Porzingis was very complimentary of Jokic going as far to call him the best in the world, much like Joel Embiid did a few night prior.
“He is pure basketball talent, he’s a pure basketball mastermind,” Porzingis said of Jokic. “He’s the best player in the world. He’s just so crafty, he almost makes you fall asleep — like, he’s not doing anything, and then he just slides by you.”
Porzingis also said if they see Denver in the NBA Finals, it is going to be a “chess match.” Porzingis was solid as Boston’s star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown struggled. The Latvian big man finished the night with 21 points, eight rebounds, and a key block on Nikola Jokic down the stretch.
Kristaps Porzingis Calls Nikola Jokic the Best in the World After 102-100 Heavyweight Battle
Kristaps Porzingis’ Impact for Boston This Year
Porzingis was one of the big gets for the Celtics this past offseason. He has lived up to the hype so far and has proven to be a seamless fit. So far this season, the former New York Knick is tallying 19.1 points, 1.8 blocks, and 6.8 total rebounds per game. On top of this, he is also averaging a career-best effective field goal percentage of 59.4 percent, a true shooting percentage of 65.6 percent, and a player efficiency rating of 21.9. With the Celtics arguably boasting the best starting-five in the league, it has truly allowed Porzingis to flourish with his skill-set without adding too much pressure on his shoulders. Many speculated that he could have been the missing piece for Boston after adding him this past offseason. So far, it looks like that is a fair assessment.
A Nuggets-Celtics Finals Matchup Very Possible This Season
The Denver Nuggets are the defending champions for a reason. As for the Celtics, they are only a year removed from making a Finals appearance of their own. Per FanDuel, the Celtics currently have the best odds to win the Finals at +300 odds. For the defending champions, they currently have the second-best odds at +430 odds.
With this in mind, these two teams meeting up in June is seeming more and more likely. Many thought it would have happened last year, but the Miami Heat’s cinderella-like run derailed those plans. Kristaps Porzingis will have his hands full if this matchup does happen as Boston will most likely match him up with Nikola Jokic a lot during a seven-game series. Boston currently has the best record in the league and Denver is the third seed in the Western Conference. As a result, do not be surprised if these two teams meet this coming summer.
