Despite Jaylen Brown's impressive 41-point performance, the Boston Celtics fell short in their comeback attempt against the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets.
Celtics coming up short
Their efforts weren't enough as they suffered a 115-109 loss on Thursday night in Denver.
Brown's offensive performance for Boston against the Nuggets was quite unusual. He proved relentless in attacking the rim, leaving the Nuggets struggling to contain him as he connected on 16 of 29 shots.
However, the Celtics guard struggled from the stripe, managing to convert only 7 of 14 attempts.
“I got up there and shot it, I felt in rhythm,” Brown said of his free throw shooting, via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Sometimes it’s a little short, maybe the elevation, but I felt fine shooting the ball…I’ll be better.”
“Just too many mistakes,” Brown continued. “Against a good team, we got to take advantage. Turnovers, free throws, just missing the defensive assignments, all of that stuff, we got to be better at.”
The Celtics had a chance to steal one at Denver, despite Jayson Tatum’s poor showing.
Tatum's performance was far from his usual standard, as he struggled to find his rhythm throughout the game, managing to score only 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, committing five turnovers in the process.
Additionally, he missed a critical wide-open 3-pointer that could have put the Celtics ahead in the final minute. The Celtics resident MVP candidate also had some costly turnovers during transition plays in the fourth quarter and appeared less engaged than usual.
Nuggets pouncing on every opportunity
The Nuggets capitalized on those errors, with Nikola Jokic leading the charge with another stellar performance against Boston. His triple-double of 32 points, combined with 12 rebounds and 11 assists, showcased his versatility on the court. This impressive display followed his outstanding performance in January when he recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in Denver's victory over Boston.
When faced with a double-team from Boston, Jokic frequently found Aaron Gordon for alley-oop dunks, including one that dashed Boston's hopes of a comeback with just 19 seconds remaining.
Boston’s teachable moment
The loss against the Nuggets mirrored Boston’s loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night with Tatum missing a potential game-winning jumper in the closing seconds.
In their two matchups against Denver, Boston has struggled with their shooting, making just 30.4% of their attempts from beyond the arc, with Tatum shooting 37.8% from the field in those games.
The Celtics took the defeat seriously but saw it as a teachable moment. Following a period of dominance, this loss could serve as a sobering reminder, especially if they cross paths with the Nuggets again in June.
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