Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Loss vs. the Nuggets: Jokic's Triple-Double, Denver's Hot Shooting Snap Boston's Four-Game Win Streak
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 55 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 30-point, 12-assist, 12-rebound triple-double from Nikola Jokic.
Between the reigning two-time MVP's performance and the Nuggets' hot shooting, going 17/30 (56.7 percent) from beyond the arc, the Celtics, who went 9/33 (27.3 percent) from long range, couldn't keep pace, snapping their four-game win streak.
Now, a deep dive into how Denver rang in the new year with a victory at Boston's expense.
Celtics Can't Find a Way to Slow Down Nikola Jokic in the First Frame
Jaylen Brown got off to a four-for-four start from the field, generating Boston's first five points in the process.
Brown produced 12 points before anyone else on the Celtics had two made field goals, burying a pair of threes and getting to the rim for two layups, including a reverse to tie the game at 12 with 8:12 left.
But shortly after that, the Nuggets went on a 12-2 run featuring Nikola Jokic capitalizing on a mismatch against Derrick White down low. That resulted in an old-school three-point play. A Jokic screen helped get Bruce Brown a clean look at a mid-range jumper the latter knocked down.
The reigning two-time MVP also delivered a dime to Aaron Gordon for a dunk that gave Denver a 24-16 lead with 5:26 on the clock. Jokic then composed a scoring sequence, where Horford held his ground against him in the low post, but after about eight dribbles, the former got close enough to face up for two points four feet from the basket.
He swished a three from above the break on the hosts following possession. The next time down the floor, he demonstrated a deft touch on a short baseline jumper four feet from the cylinder. That bucket extended the Nuggets' advantage to 31-21 with 3:34 to play in the period.
It also gave Jokic 12 points; he finished the first frame with 14, matching Brown for the most in the first 12 minutes.
At the 2:46 mark, Robert Williams checked in for the first time. The Timelord made an immediate impact, stepping up to force a Bones Hyland turnover as the latter decided against taking the shot, instead throwing the ball right to Grant Williams.
At the other end, Jayson Tatum delivered an entry pass to Robert Williams on the right block, and he quickly went to work, going by Hyland as if he wasn't there and laying the ball in on the left side of the cup.
When the quarter ended, Denver held a 37-28 lead, as Boston shaved only three points off the Nuggets' advantage after Jokic subbed out for the final 2:23 of the period.
The hosts shot 67 percent from the field compared to 42 percent from the visitors. And despite the Celtics struggling from beyond the arc, they took 14 of their 24 shots from there, going 3/14 (21.4 percent). When they diversified their approach, it resulted in producing 14 points in the paint.
Boston Wins the Jokic Minutes in the Second Quarter
The Nuggets went on a 12-2 run early in the second frame, building a 15-point lead while Jokic rested.
But after his return at the 6:17 mark, Boston outscored Denver 18-11, trimming the deficit to 62-54 at halftime. Within that stretch, the Celtics played their best defense of the first half, holding the hosts scoreless for 3:17.
Those stops helped the visitors generate seven fast-break points and 32 from inside the paint in the first half.
After registering only one point in the first frame, Tatum led all scorers with 13 in the second. Brown had a team-high 18 points on 7/11 shooting, including knocking down two of his four threes.
Jokic entered the break with 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists, including finding Gordon for points at the rim on multiple occasions. Gordon scored 12 points in the first half.
And while the Celtics tightened up defensive in the final minutes of the second quarter, the Nuggets shot well enough before that to capitalize on their field goal attempts at a 55.8 percent clip, including fairing 6/12 from beyond the arc. Denver also generated 28 points in the paint.
Along with improved defense leading to points in transition, Boston producing 15 free throws, converting on 13, compared to the Nuggets taking nine, tacking on eight points from the foul line, helped keep this game within single digits.
And with so many Celtics fans in attendance, a common occurrence in Denver, it was amusing to have dueling "MVP" chants when Tatum and Jokic went to the free-throw line.
Hosts Hot Shooting Propels Them to a Double-Digit Lead Entering Fourth Quarter
Grant Williams started for Derrick White to begin the second half. The former, who's evolved into a player capable of making plays off the dribble, attacked off the catch, getting from the right wing to the basket for a dunk. That cut the Nuggets' lead to 78-68 with 7:01 to play in the period.
Boston produced 14 points in the paint in the third quarter, as the visitors went 11/20 (55 percent) from the field, but they struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 2/6 on threes until Sam Hauser hit one from the left corner, narrowing the gap to 93-82 with 1:14 left in the frame.
The Celtics moved the ball effectively throughout the third quarter, including a no-look dish from Tatum to Al Horford for a three from the right corner, but their long-range misfires made it hard to keep up with the hot-shooting hosts. Boston entered the final frame shooting 6/26 (23.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
Conversely, the Nuggets drilled 7/9 threes in the third period. Some were well-contested, some came after sloppy switches by Boston, and others occurred when there wasn't enough pressure, on and off the ball.
Michael Porter Jr. led Denver with ten points in the quarter, faring 4/5 from the field, including 2/3 from beyond the arc. Jokic registered eight points and six assists. He entered the fourth on the verge of a triple-double, producing 28 points, ten assists, and eight rebounds.
And while Tatum led all scorers with 11 points in the frame, the hosts inflicted enough damage from long range to take a 98-85 advantage into the final 12 minutes.
Even a Long Delay Doesn't Slow Down Denver's Offense in the Final Frame
The Celtics played the Nuggets to a standstill in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. That felt like a decisive win for Denver.
The hosts, continuing to torch the nets from beyond the arc, drilled four of their first six threes in the fourth frame. Three of those came from Hyland, giving him 17 points at that juncture in the game.
While play didn't stop until the 6:43 mark, an alley-oop from Brown to Robert Williams with 8:06 remaining threw the hoop Boston was shooting at out of alignment, resulting in a delay that lasted 40 minutes but felt like an eternity.
The two teams continued trading blows when play resumed, as the Celtics produced six points at the rim. But the inability to string together stops resulted in Joe Mazzulla emptying the bench with Boston trailing 120-106 with 2:05 left.
Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Noah Vonleh, and Justin Jackson played out what was left as the Nuggets snapped the Celtics' four-game win streak with a 123-111 victory.
Up Next
The Celtics' four-game road trip continues with a game against the Thunder on Tuesday. The game tips off at 8:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
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