The Boston Celtics fell 114-110 to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at TD Garden, ending their five-game win streak. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the decisive fourth-quarter run, citing execution gaps and Denver’s depth.
“I think it was a 14-0 run there in the fourth quarter. Obviously we had some empty possessions on offense and they did a good job versus our aggressive pick and roll coverage, finding the two-on-one,” Mazzulla said.
He highlighted Denver’s playmaker Jamal Murray, who finished with 22 points and 17 assists. “Murray played really well, but he also had 17 assists versus the pick and roll, versus the aggressive coverages,” Mazzulla noted.
Regarding the Celtics’ defensive rotations, Mazzulla acknowledged that some breakdowns were unavoidable. “We’ll go back and take a look at the ones that we could get better at, especially from the corners… there’s a handful of possessions where our rotations were good, our coverages were good, and a handful where they made the right read and they made shots,” he said.
The coach pointed to two specific segments where Denver’s switching disrupted Boston’s offense. “There was that middle of the second quarter where they went to their switching… they’re physical at the point of attack. They switched, took away our slips and our dribble drive,” Mazzulla explained.
Boston’s star Jaylen Brown struggled against Denver’s aggressive schemes, turning the ball over nine times in the second half. “They did a good job just switching, being aggressive, putting length on him… just got to continue to get better at our reads, just making two-on-one reads as quickly as we can,” Mazzulla said.
He emphasized the importance of sticking to fundamentals despite the loss. “Whether you win or lose, there’s 15 to 20 possessions that you can get better at on both ends of the floor. That’s the most important thing: just stick to the process,” Mazzulla stated.
The Celtics also dealt with an ankle sprain to Josh Minott, who missed the contest. “He’s just had an ankle sprain,” Mazzulla confirmed, without elaborating further.
Boston faced 26 lead changes and nine ties before Denver pulled away in the fourth, with a late rally narrowing the gap to three points. Mazzulla credited Denver’s depth and versatility for their ability to exploit Boston’s defensive weaknesses.
Despite the loss, Mazzulla remains focused on adjustments. “There are definitely possessions that we have to be better at in our rotations… stick to the process and continue to improve,” he said.
The Celtics, now 23-12, remain third in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, while Denver, with the win, holds a 25-12 record in the Western Conference. Both teams return to action Friday night, with Boston hosting the Raptors and Denver facing the Hawks.
