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Nikola Jokic was simply too much for the Boston Celtics to handle.
Maybe he was just being respectful, but the best player in the NBA said that Boston Celtics are still the best team in the NBA.
Minutes after achieving another triple-double in the Denver Nuggets 115-109 victory against the Celtics, Thursday March 7, Nikola Jokic affirmed that Boston remained the best team in the NBA. Record-wise, he’s not wrong. Jokic explained why he felt that way.
Nikola Jokic praises the Boston Celtics
The Nuggets completed the season sweep of the Celtics as Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the victory. Denver improved to 43-20 and remains one game out of first place in the Western Conference. This is the second consecutive defeat for the Celtics, who have always The best score in the NBA at 48-14.
It was the second straight victory against the Celtics for the defending champion Nuggets. Earlier this season, Denver became the first team this season to eliminate the Celtics at TD Garden, winning 102-100. Boston had opened the season with a record 20 consecutive home victories.
Despite beating the Celtics in both games this year, Jokic still said that the Celtics are the best team in the league.
“It’s a very good team” Jokic said after the match. “They basically have an answer for everything, in terms of matchup, defense and offense.
“It’s a really well-built team and they’re playing really well, you know. This is why they are currently the best team in the NBA. It’s really difficult to play against this team. They are long, big. They defend really well. They have some really smart players. It’s a great team.
The Celtics had no answer for Jokic
Jokic was a significant problem for the Celtics, but it’s nothing new. He has been a problem for the entire NBA in recent seasons. He is the favorite for the MVP award this year, which would be his third in the last four seasons. In the first Celtics/Nuggets meeting this season, Jokic finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
On Thursday it came as advertised.
“He’s just an incredible basketball player,” Porzingis said of Jokic. “I actually learned some things from him today. He’s so smart, so cunning. There are so many things you don’t see that he does on the field that help this team win. It’s incredible.
“Anytime you help a little bit, he’ll find (Aaron) Gordon and all those guys. It just shows how valuable he is to them and what he does for them. Really, really, really hard to stop.
The Celtics/Nuggets game also went as advertised. Many fans believe this is a preview of the 2024 NBA Finals. The Celtics held on despite subpar play from Jayson Tatum.
Tatum finished with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He missed a wide-open corner 3-pointer with 45 seconds left that would have given Boston a one-point lead. The Celtics also struggled from the free throw line, shooting 16 of 25. Jaylen Brown, who led the Celtics with 41 points, missed half of his 14 free throw attempts.
Boston looks to end its two-game losing streak Saturday at Phoenix Suns.
Mike Thomas is a veteran sports reporter who covers the NBA for Heavy.com, with a particular focus on the Boston Celtics. He previously worked as an NBA and NFL writer for Sportscasting and was a sports editor for The Herald News in Fall River, Massachusetts for 16 years. Learn more about Mike Thomas
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