Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Nuggets: Boston Steps Up in Crunch Time, Overcomes Rough Shooting Night
The Celtics earned their seventh-straight win, beating the Nuggets 108-102 on Friday night.
There's a lot to be encouraged about from this victory, including Derrick White already looking comfortable in the Celtics' system.
As a team, Boston had an atrocious performance shooting-wise, making less than 40 percent of its field goals, including going 10/37 (27 percent) from beyond the arc. However, the Celtics' continued to push the pace and move the ball effectively, assisting on 24 of their 38 made field goals while sticking with a team-oriented approach rather than devolving into an iso-heavy offense.
Their cold shooting night also didn't affect them defensively, as Boston did a much better job with its switches in the second half than the first and held the Nuggets to 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 11/44 (25 percent) from three.
Those stops allowed the Celtics to operate less against a set defense and enabled them to generate 54 points in the paint, 20 points on second-chance opportunities, and take 30 free throws.
Here's a breakdown of what stood out from a win Boston seized in crunch time.
Derrick White Fits in Seamlessly in Celtics Debut
In his Celtics debut, Derrick White entered the game to a standing ovation from the TD Garden crowd at the 4:35 mark in the first quarter. He immediately made an impact, throwing an alley-oop to Jaylen Brown in transition, playing effective on-ball and team defense, and burying a three for his first bucket with his new team.
In 28 minutes of floor time, White finished with 15 points on six of twelve shooting, including 3/7 (42.9 percent) from three. He also had six rebounds and two assists. Ime Udoka has familiarity and trust in him, as evidenced by Udoka putting him in the closing lineup.
White fits very well with this team and already looks comfortable in their system. He made quick decisions with the ball, capitalized on the spacing playing alongside Tatum and Jaylen Brown affords him, and he plays with a high energy level defensively.
Robert Williams Registers a Double-Double, Holds His Own Defending Nikola Jokic
Offensively, Robert Williams lived in the dunker spot and received a considerable amount of lobs because of it. Just look at his shot chart.
Williams scored 15 points, with only one occurring outside the restricted area; it was a free throw. He also tied Nikola Jokic for a game-high 16 rebounds, and his six offensive boards were more than any other participant in this game.
The Celtics defense has elevated to an even higher level since Udoka decided to have Al Horford guard centers so Williams can protect the rim more often while also closing out quickly to the corners. However, against the Nuggets, Williams was the only big in the game for Boston down the stretch, meaning he took on the challenge of guarding Jokic.
Despite giving up nearly 50 pounds, Williams repeatedly held his own against the reigning MVP in the low post. Williams also had a game-high three blocks, including this crunch-time rejection of a Zeke Nnaji dunk attempt.
Marcus Smart was the Player of the Game
Marcus Smart was fantastic on both ends in Friday's win over the Nuggets.
Like most of his teammates, he didn't shoot the ball particularly well, making six of his 16 field goal attempts (37.5 percent), including 2/6 threes (33.3 percent). But on a night where Boston needed Smart to step up as a scorer, he did just that, finishing with 22 points, including eight from inside the paint.
The longest-tenured Celtic also dished out a team-high seven assists. Five turnovers is a steep figure, but he countered that with five steals at the other end, making numerous winning plays. Smart also had five rebounds in Friday's win.
Celtics Overcome Poor Shooting, Outplay Nuggets in Crunch Time
In the final five minutes, the Celtics only shot 2/7 (28.6 percent) from the field, including going 0/4 from three, but stingy defense resulted in the Nuggets fairing even worse on offense. Denver went 2/10 in the final five minutes, and they also failed to make a three, going 0/3 from beyond the arc.
Those stops allowed the Celtics to attack in transition, which was at the root of them taking 11 free throws in crunch time. Boston converted on nine of those, outscoring the Nuggets at the free-throw line by six points in the final five minutes, which is also their margin of victory in this game.
Overcoming their shooting struggles while outplaying tough competition to close out the win and seeing how well Derrick White played in his Celtics debut adds to an encouraging stretch that now includes seven-straight victories.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon. The game tips off at 2:00 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.
Further Reading
Celtics Sign Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet to Standard Contracts, Can Now Add Players Via 10-Day Deals
Celtics Bring Back Daniel Theis, Send Dennis Schroder, Enes Freedom, Bruno Fernando to Rockets
Celtics Trade Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier to Magic in Cost-Cutting Move
