Despite playing with several key players absent, the Denver Nuggets experienced a scoring drought lasting over six and a half minutes during the third quarter of their 114-110 away victory against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
The team under David Adelman managed to withstand this period without scoring, characterized by eleven consecutive unsuccessful shots from the field and a 12-0 surge by the Celtics, before quickly resuming a back-and-forth contest with one of the league’s top-performing teams.
During the final quarter, Denver, now holding a 25-12 record, accumulated fourteen uninterrupted points, creating a significant deficit for Boston (23-13) that they were unable to overcome. This tenacious Nuggets squad achieved this shift in momentum despite the continued absence of centers Nikola Jokić and Jonas Valančiūnas, and forward Cam Johnson.
Lesser-known players stepped up decisively, echoing their contributions in Monday’s overtime triumph against the Philadelphia 76ers. In this game, prominent point guard Jamal Murray continued his stellar play from his previous Brooklyn appearance. After registering sixteen assists versus the Nets, he set a new personal best with seventeen assists against the Celtics, complementing his 22 points, 8 rebounds, and just 2 turnovers.
Jokić was absent for his fifth consecutive match, having sustained a hyperextended left knee during a December 29 loss to the Miami Heat, which marked the second contest of a seven-game away stretch for the Nuggets, concluding on Wednesday at TD Garden. Denver’s record now stands at 3-2 without their leading MVP candidate.
Across all five of those games, forward Peyton Watson has consistently achieved a minimum of 21 points. On Wednesday in Boston, he delivered an explosive performance, leading his team with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting. His accuracy from the left corner was exceptional, as he completed 6 of 7 attempts from three-point range.
Both squads collectively sank twenty three-pointers in the initial half, a period initiated by Celtics standout Jaylen Brown’s 15-point explosion in the first quarter. He concluded the game with 33 points but also committed seven turnovers.
After the intermission, both teams saw a notable drop in their shooting efficiency — mirroring the frigid conditions outdoors — combining for a mere 5 successful shots out of 23 attempts to begin the third quarter. While the Celtics initially regained their rhythm, the Nuggets ultimately responded effectively, driven by successful three-point shots from Murray, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Aaron Gordon.
Boston received an energy injection from guard Anfernee Simons towards the close of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, contributing 15 points as a reserve. Simultaneously, center Neemias Queta demonstrated remarkable effort in rebounding. He finished with 20 rebounds in total, with 10 of those being offensive — a rebounding achievement not seen from a Celtics player since Robert Parish in 1989.
During the concluding period, the Nuggets benefited from significant performances by guard Jalen Pickett and center Zeke Nnaji. Prior to this game, neither player was averaging more than 3.8 points per contest. Together, they scored 19 points on Wednesday.
Pickett converted a three-pointer along with a layup. Nnaji successfully blocked a shot from Derrick White, which resulted in a fast-break score by Watson. Soon after, he slammed a two-handed dunk, assisting Denver in widening their lead.
Boston mounted a belated rally, even narrowing the gap to three points following three free throws from Payton Pritchard, but their efforts proved insufficient and untimely after a Nuggets scoring spree transformed a three-point disadvantage into an eleven-point lead.
Denver managed to find a path to victory despite their depleted roster and evident weariness. Consequently, the Nuggets recorded their fifteenth away triumph of the current season, marking the highest number among all NBA teams.
