3 things to watch: Denver Nuggets at Boston Celtics

The Denver Nuggets have won three in a row ahead of a game against Boston. Here are 3 things to watch as they look to make it four.

The Denver Nuggets have been coming up clutch as of late.

First it was a Nikola Jokic buzzer beater to take down the Mavericks. Then Paul Millsap played the hero with a go-ahead bucket against Indiana.

The Nuggets have had to come up big late more than a handful of times this season. Jokic’s game winner was his fourth of the season, Millsap’s was his second.

But the late-game heroics are getting exhausting as a fan — and the Nuggets luck is bound to wear off some time.

Plus, it’s not going to get any easier — at least for now. The Nuggets have a matchup against Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics Monday.

Here are 3 things to watch.

Will Isaiah Thomas play?

Thomas has fallen out of coach Michael Malone’s rotation for the Nuggets past two games after playing the first nine after returning from hip surgery.

But, its Boston. IT had the best years of his career with the Celtics — including two All-Star appearances and a fifth-place finish in the 2017 MVP race.

It will surely be emotional for Thomas, even if he doesn’t play. And it’s likely he doesn’t find the court as a Nuggets win would clinch a playoff spot.

But there’s always a chance.

Monte Morris has played all 68 games for the Nuggets this season, averaging over 24 minutes per game — making him a prime candidate for rest.

And while a backup point guard missing a game wouldn’t normally make headlines, this would open a spot for Thomas to play upwards of 20 minutes against his old team.

How will the Jamal Murray drama play out?

The last time these two squads faced off — at Pepsi Center on Nov. 5 — Murray went off for a career-high 48 points.

But it was three points he didn’t score that made headlines. With time winding down and the Nuggets comfortably ahead, Murray chucked up a deep 3 at the buzzer.

The Celtics, notably Kyrie Irving, took offense. Irving tossed the ball in the stands, saying it “deserved to go in the crowd after a bullsh**t move like that.”

Murray hasn’t been afraid of making waves since coming into the league, also igniting a feud with the Lakers, but the beef with Kyrie made the most headlines.

Who knows what — if anything — comes of this, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

Can the Nuggets clinch a playoff spot?

With the Kings taking down the Bulls Sunday, the Magic number for the Nuggets is still at one. A win over the Celtics takes care of that and allows the Nuggets to focus on clinching the best seed.

Right now, they hold the No. 2 seed, behind the Warriors and ahead of the Rockets. For everything to know about seeding, take a look at the Denver Nuggets playoff tracker.

If Denver does make the playoffs, it would mark their first postseason appearance since 2013. It would also be the first playoff appearance of most of the players on the Nuggets roster.

Millsap has the most experience — mainly from his time in Atlanta. Thomas — no matter how much he will play — also brings some good experience from his time in Boston. Mason Plumlee also has a bit of experience in Brooklyn and Portland.