In the final seconds, Jayson Tatum had the ball in his hands and the opportunity to put his Boston Celtics up for the second time this week and this season over the Denver Nuggets. However, Tatum missed out on the opportunity again. This led Nuggets have the victory in Celtics vs Nuggets match on March 8.
With the Celtics behind by two, Tatum missed a wide-open corner 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining. This concluded to an awful performance on Boston’s final opportunity to grab the lead. Following the miss, Nikola Jokic completed his 32-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double with a lob to Aaron Gordon for a slam. This increased Denver’s lead in the 115-109 win.
Tatum remarked, “That corner three was a good shot.” “I assumed it was going inside. We had a few opportunities.
Considering how depressed Tatum was throughout, it’s surprising Boston (48-14) had a shot to win. He ended with 15 points (5-for-13 shooting), four rebounds, and eight assists. In addition to that wide-open missed three, Tatum committed several critical turnovers in transition in the fourth quarter. He also made many passive drives to the rim, and was generally less active than usual.
When asked about his performance, Tatum responded, “I think with our team’s dynamic, when other guys got it going in a rhythm, in a flow… you got to space the floor.” “We always discuss respecting other people’s space. If it means being in the corner or passing the ball, that’s what we’re attempting to achieve during that possession. “You have to respect that.”
Core Highlights of Celtics vs Nuggets
The Celtics stayed in the game because of Jaylen Brown’s incredible performance. This includes 41 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 41 minutes. However, they regularly cost themselves with sloppy play, giving the Nuggets (43-20) a 16-6 advantage in points off turnovers and shooting 11-for-38 (28.9%) from 3-point range.
“And that begins with me, at the top, with Jayson… We committed too many blunders and lost the game.”
The Nuggets were brutal in capitalizing on those mistakes, particularly Jokic, who delivered a second consecutive impressive performance against Boston. His 32-point triple-double Thursday night followed his 34-point, 12-rebound, and nine-assist performance in Denver’s January triumph over Boston.
Jokic regularly found himself in single coverage against Kristaps Porzingis, and he exploited his size and muscle to bully his way down to the basket for easy points. When Boston deployed a double team, Jokic frequently responded by hitting Gordon for many lob dunks, including the one that destroyed Boston’s comeback hopes with 19 seconds remaining.
Players Comment On The Match
“After the game, Gordon described Jokic as the centre he’s always dreamed of playing with—the player I’ve always dreamed of playing with.” “He’s someone who sees the floor and is quite selfless. And I believe he enjoys the idea that he can throw it anywhere, and I will collect it.”
Porzingis said he learned some things about protecting Jokic that he’ll apply in their next game, which the Celtics hope will be in a few months.
“He was definitely in his bag tonight,” said Porzingis, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds. “He’s simply a terrific basketball player. I learned several things from him today. He’s so brilliant and crafty, and there are so many things you don’t see him doing to make the team win.
The Celtics’ loss on Thursday marked their second defeat against the Nuggets this season—a team many predict will play in the NBA Finals in June.
Boston has yet to play well in its two games against Denver, going 25-for-82 (30.4%) from 3-point range. Tatum has only gone 14-for-37 (37.8%) in those contests.
However, after falling short in both of their attempts to defeat the reigning champs, the Celtics’ primary takeaway was that for things to change in June, they had to improve.
Tatum remarked, “That’s an excellent team over there.” “Very well coached. They frequently make sound decisions, and you must outperform them. You cannot rely on them to beat themselves. They’re just a tremendously good baseball club.
