The Boston Celtics shall be seeking to keep away from their first three-game shedding streak of the season Sunday afternoon after they tackle the visiting Denver Nuggets.
After shedding 117-97 on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, the Celtics dropped a 123-116 choice to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday within the opener of a seven-game homestand.
Celtics starters Kristaps Porzingis (sickness) and Jrue Vacation (hand) did not play within the loss to the Cavaliers.
“It was positively an intense recreation, an ideal ambiance,” Boston’s Jaylen Brown mentioned. “You may inform they needed to beat us and we got here out swinging. And we had sufficient. We had sufficient to win the sport, regardless of whoever was sitting out, no matter, we must always have received this recreation. A pair possessions that we are able to enhance on and make smarter selections.
“There are a couple of performs I want I may have again, however for essentially the most half we have been aggressive and so they hit pictures, so I give them credit score.”
Jayson Tatum tossed in a season-high 46 factors and had 16 rebounds through the loss, which dropped Boston’s house file to 18-11. Tatum and Brown (37 factors) scored all however 33 of Boston’s factors.
“There are issues that we each most likely may have executed to place the staff in a greater place,” Tatum mentioned. “However you be taught from it and prepare for Sunday. It must be one other enjoyable one.”
Boston additionally misplaced back-to-back video games in late December however prevented a 3rd straight setback by incomes a 142-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Sunday’s matchup options the final two NBA champions, and two of the NBA’s prime scorers in Tatum (27.0 factors per recreation) and Denver’s Nikola Jokic (29.1). Like Tatum, Jokic put up massive numbers Friday night time, when he had 23 factors, 17 rebounds and 15 assists to assist Denver finish Detroit’s eight-game successful streak with a 134-119 choice. It was Jokic’s twenty eighth triple-double this season.
“Nikola … one other great triple-double, impacting the sport throughout the board,” Denver coach Michael Malone mentioned.
Aaron Gordon did not play within the victory over Detroit due to a left ankle sprain. Malone mentioned Gordon’s standing for Sunday’s recreation is unclear.
“I feel he had a second (Thursday) night time (in Milwaukee),” Malone mentioned. “Give him numerous credit score for combating by and getting by that recreation, however he positively wasn’t shifting the best way we have change into accustomed to seeing him transfer. So I feel he should have rolled it.”
Gordon (calf) and Jokic (sickness) have been each out of the lineup when Boston beat Denver 118-106 on the street Jan. 7. Tatum led all scorers with 29 factors within the win, and Porzingis completed with 25 factors and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 26 factors for the Nuggets.
That recreation was tied 93-93 earlier than Boston used a 15-0 run to drag away.
This would be the remaining cease on a four-game street journey for Denver, which has received 11 of its final 13 video games. The Nuggets are 2-1 on the journey to date.
“Now we have one recreation left on this street journey — a really difficult recreation,” Malone mentioned. “Hopefully we are able to discover a manner to enter Boston, compete and provides ourselves an opportunity.”
–Area Degree Media