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Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics went to Denver on Wednesday night and ran into a wall. The Nuggets were physical, disciplined and relentless on the offensive glass, and Boston had no answers in the second half. A four game win streak ended with a 103-84 defeat on the second night of a back-to-back at altitude.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick White added 20 points and 3 blocks. Beyond those two, Boston struggled to find any rhythm in the 2nd half. The Celtics shot 35 percent from the field and just 28 percent from three, going 12-of-43 from beyond the arc on the night.
After the game, Joe Mazzulla sat down with reporters and did not look for excuses.
Mazzulla Provides Honest Assessment
Mazzulla has a habit of identifying 10 to 15 possessions after each game where the Celtics can improve. It is a routine part of his postgame process. On Wednesday night in Denver, he updated that number.
“There’s probably, we talk about 10 to 15 (possessions), maybe you want to pick 30 today,” Mazzulla said. “And we’ll see how we approach preparation for our next game, and I think that can dictate how well we handled today.”
Thirty possessions. That is not a number Mazzulla throws out lightly. It is a candid acknowledgment that this was not a back-to-back blip or a case of tired legs alone. There were genuine execution problems on both ends and Mazzulla was not prepared to paper over them.
When asked whether the loss could be chalked up to fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back, his answer was honest. “Yeah, I mean everything really,” he said. “But it really just kind of depends on how we approach film tomorrow and shootaround the next day.”
What Went Wrong in Denver
Denver was the better team for large stretches of Wednesday night and deserved the result. Mazzulla gave them credit directly.
“They were very physical at the point of attack,” he said. “They were good switching up their matchups a little bit, but I thought they were just physical at the point of attack and they defended us well.”
Nikola Jokic finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. The Nuggets had 23 second chance points, making a conscious effort on the offensive glass throughout the game. Denver’s transition game did the rest.
“It was that 10-0 run that came through transition off either some of our missed shots or missed rim reads or just a turnover,” Mazzulla said.
Boston held a one point lead at halftime, 48-47, but the third quarter unravelled quickly. Denver outscored the Celtics 30-19 in the frame and then pulled away with a 15-0 run that stretched into the fourth. By the time Mazzulla pulled Brown and White from the game, the result had long been decided.
How the Celtics Respond
One loss does not change the picture. Boston went 3-1 on the West Coast road trip without Jayson Tatum, won nine of their last ten entering Wednesday’s game and remain 38-20 on the season, still second in the Eastern Conference.
The back-to-back context is real. Playing in Denver at altitude on the second night of a road trip is one of the more demanding asks in the NBA regular season. Mazzulla acknowledged as much without hiding behind it.
What matters now is Friday night at home against the Brooklyn Nets. The film session. The shootaround. The response Mazzulla spoke about postgame. That is where this loss gets answered.
Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vucevic and the supporting cast did not shoot the ball well in Denver. Brown and White carried the load. A full collective effort on Friday would go a long way toward putting Wednesday night in the right context.
Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talks with head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Final Word for the Celtics
It was a rough night for the Celtics in Denver. The Nuggets were physical and Boston was not at its best on the second night of a back-to-back.
What Mazzulla said next is what matters. It depends on how they approach film. How they approach shootaround. How they respond.
The Celtics have answered that question well all season. Friday night at home is the next chance to do it again.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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