Thursday night served as the closest thing to a “measuring stick game” for the Celtics, and it revealed there is still work to be done if the Celtics are going to test the reigning champs in June as Boston fell to the Nuggets 115-109.
With the win, the Nuggets swept the season series over the Celtics 2-0, reminding Boston that despite its record, the champs are still on top.
Very rarely have the Celtics simply been outplayed this season. However, that’s what happened for the better part of 48 minutes on Tuesday night.
Now, let’s be clear: one loss doesn’t change the trajectory of this Celtics’ team. They are still head and shoulders above the Eastern Conference, yet Thursday night served as a wake-up call as they once again struggled against the best of the best.
This wasn’t just a random game in March. Many people consider it an NBA Finals preview. It was an opportunity for the Celtics to show just how much they have learned since the last time these two met, and it was a game the Celtics really wanted.
“This was a big game. We wanted to win this one,” Kristaps Porzingis said postgame. “It stings real bad, but I like that there’s a big margin that we can improve from this game.”
All the Celtics and do is learn from it.
It’s not just a cheap cop-out after a loss. This is one of those lessons the Celtics truly need to learn from because if it happens in June, it will no longer be a lesson — instead, a failed test.
“When you play against great teams, they bring the best out of you, and they bring opportunity to learn,” Joe Mazzulla said postgame. “I feel good about where we’re at and what we need to work on.”
As of right now, Denver is still at the top of the top. And although Porzingis didn’t necessarily agree with the phrasing of Denver having Boston’s number, that is the reality. However, this is a game the Celtics could have won.
Let’s examine some of the areas that the Celtics need to improve and what went wrong in Thursday night’s loss.
Details matter
This is probably the biggest learning experience.
The Celtics learned the hard way last postseason that it takes an extreme level of focus for an entire 48 minutes to succeed in the playoffs. And in a playoff-like atmosphere on Thursday night, there was a sense of deja vu.
For the Celtics, these lapses seem to occur at the end of quarters, an area of the game that Mazzulla emphasizes heavily.
At the end of the first quarter, Jamal Murray sank a 31-footer, which was well contested by Xavier Tillman, to cap off a 12-5 run over the final 3:06 of the quarter. In fairness, the heave was an impressive shot by Murray, who had Tillman right in his grill. However, a take foul by Jrue Holiday led to a side-out inbound, thus resulting in the Murray triple.
Then, at the end of the second quarter, the Celtics had the chance to hold the ball for what would have essentially been the last shot. Denver would have had about four seconds to work with. Instead, Derrick White drove at the rim and was rejected by Justin Holiday, leading to a Nikola Jokic 17-foot bank shot at the horn, capping off a 9-4 Denver run in the final 1:51 of the quarter.
This is a prime example of the smaller margins the Celtics need to improve. It may go unnoticed, but it’s a common trait in championship teams and one Denver displayed Thursday night.
Especially on the road, those are momentum shifters.
Overall, the Celtics were outscored 31-16 at the end of the first, second, and third quarters. Those end-of-quarter points add up, and they made a big difference for the Celtics.
Winning the non-Jokic minutes
This one can also be filed under “details matter.”
Entering Thursday night, the Nuggets were a +465 with Jokic on the floor and a -229 with him on the bench. That 684-point differential was the most significant in the NBA.
Jokic’s absence presents a golden opportunity to exploit weaknesses and gain ground. Unfortunately, the Celtics struggled to capitalize on this vulnerability Thursday night.
The Celtics outscored the Nuggets 24-21 in the non-Jokic minutes. Although the big man only sat for 3:15, that number needs to be higher.
With Jokic on the bench, Mazzulla opted to play Al Horford and Xavier Tillman together, which is interesting, given the lineup would presumably be focused on offense in that situation and also left bigs for Murray to attack. This appears to be one of those playoff wrinkles teams mess with during the final stretch of the regular season.
Obviously, it’s amplified when talking about a league MVP in Jokic, however, when a team’s catalyst is off the floor, it’s crucial to pile on in those minutes.
Losing the margins
One of the first things Joe Mazzulla does when he takes his seat at the podium postgame is glance at the box score in front of him. Mazzulla keeps a close eye on the game’s margins, and the Celtics were beaten in that area on Thursday.
Despite attempting three more shots, the Celtics were outscored by five points at the free-throw line. Boston shot 16-of-25 (64.0%) at the free-throw line. Those nine points made all the difference in a game decided by six points.
Additionally, the Celtics were nearly doubled in the turnover margin, giving the ball away 12 times to Denver’s seven. Those turnovers resulted in 16 points for the Nuggets and just six for Boston.
“Just too many mistakes,” Brown said postgame. “Turnovers, free throws, missing defensive assignments. All that stuff we’ve got to be better at, and it starts with me. It starts at the top. Starts with Jayson. We made too many mistakes, and it cost us.”
Free throws tainted what was an otherwise outstanding night from Brown. The three-time All-Star finished with a game-high 41 points, 14 rebounds (also a game-high), four assists, and two steals. However, he shot 7-of-14 (50%) at the free-throw line. His seven misses marked the most by a Celtic at the charity stripe since 2014 when Rajon Rondo missed eight in a loss to the Suns.
It’s worth noting, though, that Boston’s offense could have been in some serious trouble without Brown. He’s a big reason they were able to stay afloat.
As for the turnovers, most were unforced, which is the epitome of sloppy basketball. Boston’s 12 turnovers led to transition points for Denver, as they racked up 19 points on the fast break.
These mistakes aren’t going to fly against teams like the Nuggets. You can’t afford to beat yourself.
The good thing for the Celtics is that they can control these things, and if they had managed to control them Thursday night, they would probably be leaving Denver with a win.
Jayson Tatum needs to be better
With 45 seconds remaining, Tatum had a wide-open look from the corner to put Boston ahead. The shot rolled off the rim, punctuating a frustrating night for Tatum.
There haven’t been many games this season Tatum has delivered a total dud, but Thursday night was one of those rare exceptions.
The five-time All-Star finished with 15 points on 5-of-13 (38.5%) shooting from the field and 2-of-5 (40%) from deep, with four rebounds, eight assists, and a steal.
He had as many turnovers (5) as he made field goals, and many of his turnovers were due to lazy passing.
It wasn’t just the misses and turnovers for Tatum. There were quite a few defensive lapses throughout the game, none more prominent than the two in the fourth quarter when he didn’t pick up Aaron Gordon on two fourth-quarter dunks.
In big games like Thursday night, Tatum must be the best floor or, at the very least, the best player on the Celtics, which he hasn’t done in either game against Denver.
In 68 minutes against Denver this season, Tatum has totaled 37 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists, and five turnovers on 14-of-37 (37.8%) shooting from the field and 3-of-13 (23.0%) from deep.
It doesn’t take a basketball genius to know Tatum is much better than he has shown against Denver this season. The numbers he has put in two games against the Nuggets are some he can post in a single night.
Yet, despite Tatum’s struggles, Boston has kept things close into the final moments in each of their two games, which should provide some optimism.
It’s no secret. In big games, your star player has to bring it. In a seven-game series, there is no way Denver can limit Tatum the way they have, and he has given fans every reason to expect he will deliver when needed. (IE: Game 6 and 7 against Philadelphia last year).
Defense struggles
The Celtics have been one of the best teams in the NBA defensively this season. The same can’t be said about Thursday night.
Despite shooting 4-of-21 (19.0%) from three-point range, the Nuggets still managed to shoot 50% on the night. It marked the ninth time the Celtics allowed an opponent to shoot 50% or better this season, with the C’s dropping to 2-7 in such games. It also marked the second time Denver shot at least 50% against Boston this season.
The Celtics defense struggled Thursday night from the lapses and miscommunication to execution.
If Boston is going to raise Banner 18, it will start with their defense. They have accepted this reality from the start of the season, and with the league’s number two-ranked defense, the Celtics have proven their defense is good enough for that.
However, Thursday’s game emphasized the necessity of finding ways to contain Denver’s frontcourt presence if the Celtics aspire to challenge the reigning champions.
Getting uncomfortable
The three-pointer is a critical factor in the Celtics’ offense.
They are 40-4 on the season when they make the same amount, or more threes as their opponent, and 9-9 when they make less. Dominating the perimeter has worked for the Celtics, who lead the NBA with 16.3 made threes per game and have outscored their opponents 3,024-2,415 on the perimeter this season.
Not many teams have had luck keeping the Celtics off the perimeter. Denver is one of those rare exceptions.
In their two games against the Nuggets, the Celtics are shooting 25-of-82 (30.5%) from deep.
The Celtics have found different ways to win when the threes aren’t falling this season. If these two teams are to meet again, that could be put to the test.
Related
