Celtics Maturation Evident in Potential Finals Preview vs. Nuggets

The Celtics were unfazed by a frigid night from the field, stayed locked in defensively, and found ways to win on the margins that nearly propelled them past the defending champions.

Whether it was driving-and-kicking, making the extra pass, or what stemmed from hustling for an offensive rebound, no matter how sound their process was, shooting variance wasn't on the side of the Celtics on Friday night.

Boston consistently created quality shots in its 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets, but the hosts couldn't buy a basket in their first defeat at TD Garden this season.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were a combined 15/43 from the field, and the Celtics finished a frigid 42.7 percent from the field, including 14/44 (31.8 percent) from beyond the arc as proper spacing, a team-oriented approach, and effective ball movement merely led to one miss after another.

After his team, which still has an NBA-leading 32-10 record, dropped to 20-1 on its parquet, head coach Joe Mazzulla voiced, "They moved the ball pretty well, got some good looks, just -- they didn't go down when they needed them to."

But in a sign of maturation, the Celtics didn't allow their shooting struggles to take from their offensive approach or their focus and effort defensively. 

Jayson Tatum is ELITE pic.twitter.com/QkddQMXBhe

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 20, 2024

Boston's holding the defending champions to 8/31 (25.8 percent) from three-point range while only committing three turnovers, forcing 11, and parlaying them into a 17-2 advantage in points off giveaways exemplified that. Each was crucial to the hosts keeping their offense afloat and the score close. 

A season ago, when there was a cold shooting night like this, it tended to get in the Celtics' heads and undermine them defensively. It happened frequently in losses to competition .500 or below.

But Friday night against the defending champions, they didn't compromise their gritty approach, selfless nature, and ability to stay locked in, even as the misses piled up.

It took 35 points from Jamal Murray, who put on an impressive display of difficult shot-making. Thirty-four from Nikola Jokic, who was a force from inside the arc, even overcoming when Kristaps Porzingis would stand him up in the low post, acting as a wrecking ball with feathery soft touch, and those two dishing out 14 assists combined, scoring or facilitating on 89 of Denver's 102 points, for the visitors to pull out a win.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

As bright as the Nuggets' stars shined, and as much as Boston struggled from the field, exemplified by how Tatum and Brown fared, after the former plowed full speed through three defenders but couldn't convert on a layup that would've given the hosts a one-point lead with 17.1 seconds left, the soon-to-be five-time All-Star had the ball in his hands with his team down two on the game's final possession.

Perhaps he could've attacked downhill, but he was frustrated by the officiating all night, only took three free throws, and generated a clean look at a fadeaway jump shot. It just didn't go down.

NUGGETS SNAP THE CELTICS' 20-GAME HOME WINNING STREAK‼️ pic.twitter.com/9THceKMVNe

— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2024

"Yeah, I think I kind of rushed it," Tatum said of his attempt to force overtime. "And that's on me. In the back of my mind, I wasn't sure if they were going to foul. They had a foul to give. I had more time than I gave myself. So, I should have took some more time. But you can't go back. So, it's something I can learn from."

Perhaps with moments like Jokic jarring the ball loose right before Tatum's missed layup that could've put the Celtics ahead with under 20 seconds to go or Michael Porter Jr.'s put-back to give the Nuggets a 101-98 advantage with 2:50 remaining, Mazzulla conveyed after the loss, "To me, it came down to the wire. And they made one or two more plays than we did."

Derrick White, who registered a team-high 24 points, five assists, two steals, and a block and was Boston's best player on Friday, stated, "They're a good team. They're the champs for a reason. The champs until someone knocks them off," adding, "I think this year, we've shown we can win games in many different ways...We just didn't make enough plays to win it tonight...We just gotta grow from it."

Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, expressed of the Celtics getting to measure themselves against the team that reached the NBA's mountain top last season, "I love it. Even though we lost, it's a great game for us," adding, "this is a real team; this is last year's champs, and that's what we want to be."

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out as the Nuggets Handed the Celtics Their First Home Loss this Season

Celtics Finding Joy in Basketball and Each Other's Company: 'We've Been Blessed'

Fixated on Winning, Jayson Tatum Again Proves He's Not 'Bored Making the Right Play Over and Over'

Ime Udoka Assesses Tatum and Brown's Growth Since Coaching Them: 'A Lot of Potential That I Haven't Tapped Into'

Jrue Holiday Responds to Celtics Saying He's Sacrificing Most: 'Not Mad at My Situation'

Brad Stevens Shares What Celtics Are Looking to Add and How He Hopes to Do So

Derrick White Opens Up About Journey from Uncertainty He Belonged in the NBA to an All-Star Caliber Guard

Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'

Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'