The talk of the Boston Celtics this season has been loud, as it should be. They have had the best record in the NBA for just about the entire season. Their record against the defending champion Denver Nuggets is 0-2 as the Nuggets beat them 115-109. The Nuggets were led by no other than Nikola Jokic, who dropped his 20th triple-double of the season. Last night’s performance proved the Nuggets remain the most dominant team in the league when they are healthy and that the playoffs still run through Denver.
Not only did it prove the playoffs run through Denver, it proved yet again that Nikola Jokic is an unstoppable force. Every time he backed Kristaps Porzingis down in the post, a score felt inevitable. Whether it was Jokic spinning for an easy lay-in or drawing a double for an easy assist.
The Nuggets’ Dynamic Duo
It’s known the Nuggets have one of the best two-man pick and roll duos in the entire NBA in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. What doesn’t get talked about enough is how they also have a great duo in Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. The Jokic-to-Gordon lob is one of the most dominant plays in basketball. If Jokic throws it anywhere near the rim, it’s likely going to be a dunk by Gordon.
Jokic is not guardable and has a perfect pairing mate in Gordon, who is arguably the best dunker in the NBA. They compliment each others’ games perfectly. On one of Jokic’s misses last night, Aaron Gordon was right there for a vicious putback. Putting one of the best cutters and rim-runners in the league alongside the best passer is a deadly duo. Their chemistry has grown each year they have been together, and their skillsets perfectly compliment each other.
Huge bench contributions
Every single player who played for the Nuggets off the bench was a positive in plus-minus in last night’s game. That happens very few times with the current Nuggets bench. Although many of the members on their bench have made good contributions throughout the year, the fact they all contributed positively in a huge matchup is big for the Nuggets.
As per usual, the player who stood out the most was Peyton Watson. His energy and effort on the court is infectious and he’s averaging at least a few plays that ignite the crowd every game. He had a couple of massive blocks and a huge dunk yesterday and was a team-high +11 in 17 minutes. He’s already a huge piece for this Nuggets team and is only in his first year receiving actual minutes.
Christian Braun also contributed well yesterday adding 7 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes. The wing duo of him and Watson are energy packed on both ends of the floor and pair perfectly alongside Jokic. They are both important cogs in Denver’s future and were perfect draft picks, especially with the NBA’s new CBA rules.
Playoffs Run Through Denver
Although the Nuggets might not have the one-seed at this point in time. They are streaking since the all-star break and are pushing closer to the top seed. Games like this one prove the playoffs will still run through Denver, regardless of their seed in the playoffs. It’s hard to imagine a team beating them in a seven-game series as long as the Nuggets stay healthy.
The Nuggets’ starting lineup remains the best lineup in the league with their chemistry. Their half-court offense is dominant and they have lockdown defenders in Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Their team defense as a whole is elite, especially in the clutch.
The Nuggets have a favorable schedule upcoming with three of their next four being against lottery teams at home. They start that stretch when they play the Jazz tomorrow.
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