The Boston Celtics have been the team to beat all season. But that didn’t daunt the Denver Nuggets.
On Thursday night, the C’s fell 115-109 to the reigning champions. This disappointing defeat is Boston’s second time coming up short against Denver this season, as the Green Team narrowly lost 102-100 in late January.
In both meetings, Celtics star Jayson Tatum had off nights. He went a combined 14 for 37 from the field during the two losses and had five turnovers on Thursday.
But, the five-time All-Star has still had an impressive 2023-24 campaign overall, averaging 27.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per outing for the 48-14 Celtics. In fact, his showdown against the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets was heralded as a battle between two MVP candidates.
When asked about how he felt about his standing in the MVP race following the loss, Tatum dismissed the chatter, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
“I’m not trying to make it about myself, he said. “We talk about respecting each other’s space and understanding the flow of the game. It’s not upon me to hijack the game and make it about me and it’s a national TV game. Other guys had it going. So if I have to be in the corner, if I have to be a facilitator at times, so be it.”
While Tatum didn’t play to his full potential, fellow star Jaylen Brown was on fire. He tallied a season-high 41 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown is COOKING in the 2nd quarter ♨️
He's got 15 of his 22 points in the quarter!pic.twitter.com/5AJvg18d2B
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 8, 2024
Tatum seemed content to delegate to Brown and others down the stretch and wait for the right moment to strike. He even got a great opportunity with 45 seconds left and the Celtics down 111-109.
Following a Jrue Holiday steal, Tatum was left wide open beyond the arc. His shot didn’t fall though, and Boston failed to stop a huge Aaron Gordon dunk on the next possession.
Nikola Jokic spins and lobs it up to Aaron Gordon for the HUGE SLAM 🔥
Nuggets lead the Celtics 113-109 with 19.8 remaining.pic.twitter.com/BrHOZLC2CM
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 8, 2024
Jokic assisted that slam and finished with a triple-double, posting 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. The “Joker” was already on top of the Kia MVP Ladder, and his performance against the contending C's will surely cement his No. 1 status.
As for Tatum and company, they'll try to avoid losing three games in a row for the first time all season. It won't be easy though, as the Celtics will hit the road again to face a talented Phoenix Suns squad on Sunday evening.
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