Tuesday night marked one of the most anticipated games in Ball Arena as the world-champion Boston Celtics came to Denver to take on the Nuggets. The Celtics were at the end of a four-game road trip while the Nuggets were fresh off of two days rest; it was setting up to be a marquee matchup, nationally televised on TNT and a measuring stick of sorts for both teams.
Last season, the Nuggets were the only team in the NBA not to lose to the Celtics, beating the eventual champs in both matchups. The teams seemed destined for a collision course in the finals but that dream was derailed when the Timberwolves bounced Denver in round two.
For the Celtics, Tuesday night marked an opportunity to get some revenge and beat the one team they couldn’t take down last season. For the Nuggets, it was a chance to measure themselves against the class of the NBA and see how close they are to actually contending.
Jokic a last-minute scratch due to illness
But sadly, this game was not able to live up to the hype. Hours before the game, Nikola Jokic was downgraded to probable with an illness. Then closer to tip-off, Jokic was downgraded again, this time to questionable. Finally, moments before the game started, he was officially ruled out.
The good news is that it doesn’t sound like there is any real reason for concern. It’s winter and sicknesses are going around. Jokic was a bit under the weather on Monday and his condition worsened on Tuesday ahead of the game. There is no update on his status ahead of Wednesday’s game with the Clippers, but it doesn’t sound like this will be a long-term issue.
Nuggets play surprisingly well without Jokic
Jokic’s absence created a letdown for what should have been a marquee matchup, but the Nuggets rose to the occasion. Jamal Murray had one of his better games of the season, keeping the team in the game with his shooting - especially in the midrange.
Russell Westbrook and Julian Strawther also had big games to help carry the offense as well. Denver had a great defensive game plan as well; they were able to limit the Celtics to just 35 three-point attempts on the night (they made only 12) and they were able to get up 36 of their own, making 14.
The way Denver battled on defense was very impressive, especially Peyton Watson. He did a great job battling the elite wings of the Celtics, but also was overtasked with trying to guard Kristaps Porzingis in the post.
The Nuggets were able to come back from an early 15-point deficit and had the game tied in the 4th quarter. Boston was eventually able to go on a run and pull away late, but this was a valiant effort and a solid effort. There are no moral victories in the NBA, but there were a lot of positive takeaways from this one.