Denver falls 111- 103 to the host Boston Celtics despite Danilo Gallinari’s 23 points.
CELTICS 111, NUGGETS 103 Celtics showmore spark, run away with victory
boston » Few teams play with more spark than the Boston Celtics. They don’t have the best talent in the league, but they play hard— and with precision.
When that spark isn’t matched, it’s a long night for Boston’s foes.
It was a long night for the Nuggets on Wednesday night at TD Garden. They lost 111- 103 in what boiled down to a Celtics team playing with edge against a Nuggets team that had to be jolted into matching that intensity.
Outside of a few, fleeting moments, they never really did.
“They’re aggressive on offense and defense,” guard Emmanuel Mudiay said. “That’s probably the most we’ve seen all year, and we’ve seen some good teams. But as far as aggressive on both ends, they’re the most we’ve seen.”
This game didn’t feature the one catastrophic quarter that so many of the losses have this season. It was just a steady descent. The start of the fourth quarter effectively put things away.
The Celtics started the quarter on a 7- 0 run. The Garden crowd rocked as their Celtics rolled. Kelly Olynyk hit a 3- pointer. Then Evan Turner made a long jump shot. Then Turner dunked. The Celtics led 93- 71. The Nuggets knew exactly what hit them.
It started with an inability to corral Celtics defensive specialist Avery Bradley. He has been good offensively this season, but maybe never better in a half than he was against Denver. He scored 13 points in the first quarter and 21 in the first half, as the Nuggets had their defensive specialist, Gary Harris, guarding Boston’s leading scorer, Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas was stifled, scoring just 16 points in the game on an inefficient 5- of- 13 shooting. But Bradley, who finished with a game- high 27 points, regularly found openings in the Nuggets’ defense.
At times, they weren’t able to find him in transition. Other times, they weren’t able to get out to him in half- court defense. He got to the rim as well. Bradley’s start saved a Celtics team that otherwise didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the opening half.
Turnovers also were an issue. The Nuggets had 20 of them, and the Celtics cashed those in for 20 points but, more important, that forced the Nuggets to stack empty possession on top of empty possession.
“That’s not getting a shot off,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “They get 12 more shots. Whether or not you make the shot, maybe you get an offensive rebound, maybe you get fouled. To lose that many possessions, you’re going to put yourself at a disadvantage.”
The officiating was unforgiving. Nuggets’ players and coach complained about missed calls all night, and with good reason in many cases. But their own issues were a bigger problem. The Nuggets led 5- 4 at 9: 04 in the first quarter and never did again. The Nuggets have lost two straight games and four of their last five.
Forward Kenneth Faried turned in the most energized performance, collecting 15 points and 15 rebounds, six on the offensive glass. Forward Danilo Gallinari, who is coveted by Celtics fans who want their team to trade for him, finished with 23 points and seven rebounds.