By Darryl Harding Sr –
After a harrowing 4th quarter comeback to be defeated in their last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics come out looking to establish themselves as victors when facing the Western Conference and specifically the Denver Nuggets.
In an attempt to avoid being swept for the season, the Celtics high scorer Jaylen Brown, with 41 points, was unable to quell the barrage, led by Nikola Jokic, who racked up another triple double with 32 points 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
A sub par 15 points from Jason Tatum spelled disaster for Boston and they were outscored in three of the four quarters. Even with a double double from Kristaps Porzingis, with 24 points and 12 rebounds, the Celtics managed to come up short in most categories including assists, steals and blocks.
A supporting effort with 19 points by Jamal Murray, left the Celtics falling short especially due to poor performances in point production from Derek white and Jrue Holiday, combining for only 19 points.
Although still leading the league and still 8.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks, second in the east, the Celtics still show trepidation when it comes to establishing dominance over the NBA’s Western teams.
Marking the second loss in a row Boston looks to bounce back against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, Denver will host the Utah Jazz at 9:00 p.m.