Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The Celtics ended the game on a 40-8 run, blitzing the Nuggets defensively and attacking the rim for easy baskets. Boston won despite missing 26 of 33 3-point shots. Usually when the 3-pointer isn’t falling, the Celtics wilt. Not this time.
“We could have let it get away from us,” forward Jayson Tatum said. “They were up big. Since I’ve been on the Celtics, especially this year, we have always given ourselves a chance. We turned it up even more in that third quarter. I feel like sometimes we have to rely on the fourth quarter and then you damn near got to be perfect.
“We gave ourselves more of a chance and we ran with it.”
A team that has lost twice to the Pelicans, Kings and Pistons now has two wins over the Nuggets, and the Celtics are banking that it’s the perfect time to regain their swagger from early in the season. Road wins like these are momentum builders, especially when the Celtics looked fried, trailing by 14 with 2:17 left in the third quarter after a Facundo Campazzo layup.
The Celtics walked off the floor Sunday as the mentally stronger and more composed team. Nikola Jokic became so frustrated with the defense of Grant Williams and the Celtics’ defensive adjustments, he stopped in the middle of a Boston fast break to argue a non-call and was removed from the game for the final 4:41.
Anyone who saw THAT coming is a god-damn liar. And I literally didn’t see it because I was busy watching my kid’s lacrosse game.
I mean, I suffered through those horrid losses vs Detroit and New Orleans, yet I miss an epic, against-all-odds type win over the Nuggets? This team pisses me off, even when they win!
Spare me all the talk about turning a corner, I won’t believe it until I see (more of) it. And my standard isn’t for the Celtics to sweep through Portland and LA. All I’m asking is that the Celtics retain some of the toughness and willingness to attack the basket that we witnessed in Denver.
PS: What an awful look for Nikola Jokic.
The rest of the links
BSJ – Inside the pivotal 15-0 run
NBC Sports – Cs showcase mental toughness in statement win
Athletic – Celtics going in the right direction
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