Denver Nuggets look to keep ball rolling vs. Boston
By Mathew Huff
The Denver Nuggets will have one of their toughest tests of the season as they take on the Boston Celtics.
The Denver Nuggets will welcome the runner up Eastern Conference champions from last season.
The Nuggets come into this game with an impressive win loss record of 8-1 and are the 2nd best team in the West right now behind the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Boston Celtics are once again having another great year as they boast a win loss record of 6-3.
Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are both healthy to go along with the young sensations in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
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This game will have 2 of the best defensive teams in the entire league going head to head. The Nuggets are ranked 3rd in team defensive rating with a rating of 100.9 whereas the Celtics have the best defensive rating of an impressive 98.9.
This game could go either way. It could be a high scoring affair between both high powered offenses as Gary Harris and Nikola Jokic are both averaging career numbers and the Celtics boast offensive juggernauts in Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum.
It could also be grit and grind game where neither team cracks 100 points as Paul Millsap is returning to form for the Nuggets with a defensive rating of 99 currently to go along with a defensive box plus/minus of +3.5. Not to mention, the Celtics were the best defensive unit from last season and have Al Horford anchoring the post who is an underrated defender with a defensive rating of 99 as well as a defensive box plus/minus of +4. Ironic considering both players used to be teammates when they played for the Atlanta Hawks.
Also, remember when it comes to defensive rating, the lower the score, the better. It will be up to Nikola Jokic to utilize his talent for finding open teammates as he has an insane assist average of 7.7 per game so far this year. When you take into account Nikola’s 39.8% assist percentage, the Celtics front court is going to have their hands full to say the very least.
It will be a heavy weight fight to say the least and who knows, if by some massive stroke luck the Nuggets get lucky in the Western Conference post season, dare I say it could be a NBA Finals preview? Only time will tell.
Assigning the Nuggets as Mass Effect characters. dark. Next
If the Nuggets continue to execute like they have been as of late, their chances will be very good against this potent Celtics squad.