Well, so much for the hype.
Tuesday night’s matchup between the last two NBA champions in the Boston Celtics (27-10) and Denver Nuggets (20-15) didn’t exactly live up to its pre-game billing. You know, the one that was supposed to showcase the NBA’s reigning Players of the Week, Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum, in a head-to-head bout for the first time this season.
That’s because Jokić, who was listed as probable earlier in the day despite an illness, was downgraded to questionable — and eventually ruled out — in the hours prior to tipoff. And while the Nuggets fought valiantly without their three-time MVP, battling back from a 15-point first-half deficit to knot things up by halftime, it was the Celtics who escaped the Mile High City with a 118-106 victory.
More than ever, Boston has made a living from beyond the arc this season, with head coach Joe Mazzulla often challenging his team to attempt more three-pointers. But with Denver’s All-Star rim protector sidelined, Mazzola’s team ceased the opportunity and shifted its focus to the paint.
And that change of strategy proved fruitful with the Celtics attempting just 35 three-pointers in the contest — a far cry from its season average of 50.2 — while outscoring its opponent 60-46 in the paint.
Leading the charge for Boston down low was Kristaps Porzingis, who despite being a viable three-point threat of his own, scored 22 of his 25 points from within 16-feet. The 7-foot, 2-inch center in his second season in Boston also had his way with the boards, finishing with a game-high 11 rebounds.
“I thought (Porzingis) was big time today on both ends of the floor,” Mazzola told reporters after the game. “For this season, you know, with the way smalls are going at him, I thought it was the most physical that he was and I thought that was the most intentional we were about not only getting him the ball, but getting into the paint against smaller matchups. I thought his presence at the beginning of the game and at the end of the game were big for us.”
The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, meanwhile, was also quick to credit Porzingis.
“Just the force he played with on the offensive end — drawing fouls, attacking the mismatches, getting offensive rebounds, getting a couple of put-back dunks — the way he played tonight was much-needed” said Tatum, who finished with a game-high 29 points.
The Nuggets, who were led by a 26-point effort from Russell Westbrook, won’t have long to dwell on Tuesday night’s loss as the team welcomes the Los Angeles Clippers to town Wednesday night. Jokić’s status for that contest remains unclear.
Boston, who also benefited from a 19-point performance from Jrue Holiday, will have two days off before it returns home to welcome the Sacramento Kings to the TD Garden on Friday night. The Celtics finished their four-game road trip with a 3-1 record, with its lone loss coming at the hands of an Oklahoma City Thunder team riding a 15-game win streak.
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