The Celtics passed a test against a tough Western Conference opponent with flying colors on Friday, defeating the Nuggets 131-112.
Here’s what happened.
The Big Picture
The Celtics started hot and built a double-digit lead in the first quarter as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum started their big nights with 12 and 10 points in the period respectively. The Celtics’ lead ballooned as high as 18 in the second quarter, although the Nuggets cut it back down to 66-57 going into the halftime locker room.
Led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets kept cutting into the deficit in the third, and a flurry of 3-pointers by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — the NBA’s leading 3-point shooter by percentage in the early going — trimmed the lead back down to one, but the Celtics recorded a 9-2 run that pushed the advantage back to 97-91 going into the fourth quarter.