Jaylen Brown scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics fell 114-110 to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, ending their five-game win streak at TD Garden.
“Gotta give credit to them,” Brown said. “I think they shot what 20 of 44 from three. I think that was one of their better shooting performances of the year from three.”
Brown acknowledged Denver’s offensive efficiency, citing Peyton Watson’s 30-point effort. “Peyton Watson, a lot of those guys, they shot the ball incredibly well from downtown tonight,” he said.
On the Celtics’ defense, Brown admitted there were challenges but defended the team’s effort. “I thought our defense was fine,” he said. “They just made a lot of shots.”
Brown also pointed to the physicality and officiating as factors in the fourth quarter. “They were physical and, you know, they got away with a lot,” he said. “I would have loved to get to the free-throw line a little bit more. I was physical. I was aggressive.”
Reflecting on his own play, he noted, “The defense was good, but it wasn’t great. I think I should have been better in spots. And offensively, I think we were on top of each other a little bit. Our spacing wasn’t great. Stuff that we just got to clean up.”
Brown discussed staying focused despite frustrations with officiating. “Every time I get the ball, I’m looking to be aggressive. I drive a lot, and the whistle didn’t, you know, equate to that,” he said. “Maybe they wanted to make an emphasis. I don’t know. But I’ll adjust for the next game and see how the game is being called.”
Despite the loss, Brown emphasized the learning opportunity from facing a hot-shooting team. “Good team, well-coached and good players over there,” he said. “When a team plays like that, they’re tough to beat. We still had a chance to win a game. It’s just a few possessions offensively and defensively that we got to be sharper.”
The Nuggets, missing Nikola Jokic, used a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away, with Jamal Murray finishing with 22 points and 17 assists. Boston cut the lead to three in the final seconds but could not complete the comeback.
With the loss, Boston falls to 23-12 while Denver improves to 25-12 in the 2025-26 NBA standings. Both teams will play Friday night, with the Celtics hosting the Toronto Raptors and the Nuggets facing the Atlanta Hawks.
