Jokic, Murray assist Nuggets finish Celtics’ unbeaten residence run

BOSTON — Denver Nuggets celebrity Nikola Jokic spent the 2 days main as much as Friday night time’s conflict with the Boston Celtics grieving the demise of Golden State Warriors assistant Dejan Milojevic.

He then went out and picked up 34 factors, 12 rebounds and 9 assists in 38 minutes of a 102-100 victory that ended Boston’s unbeaten residence report (20-0) and honored the legacy of his former coach of their native Serbia within the course of.

“As I discussed to our staff after the sport, I could not be extra pleased with Nikola for taking part in the best way he performed with the tragic passing of Deki,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone mentioned. “That is what you do, although. That is why I am pleased with Nikola. You simply misplaced anyone that you simply love and also you care about that meant loads to you, that was a mentor and a coach to you.

“So go honor him. what I imply? And Nikola went on the market, he honored Deki’s reminiscence and his legacy by taking part in on the stage performed at. Not simple to do with a heavy coronary heart, however Nikola is a particular particular person, clearly, and it was unbelievable to look at him play with that heavy coronary heart and the extent he performed at when you think about who we have been taking part in and also you add every part else to the combination.

“And that is why Nikola is the very best participant on this planet.”

Jokic is the defending NBA Finals MVP, and the Nuggets are the defending NBA champions. These are the sorts of honors that Jayson Tatum and the Celtics hope to earn later this 12 months. And this sport simply may have been mistaken for one within the Finals because of the mixture of high-level play, depth and a usually raucous Friday night time crowd at TD Backyard.

The Celtics took a 98-95 lead with 4:58 to go within the fourth quarter, however they missed eight of their ultimate 9 pictures — with Tatum going 1-for-5, lacking the potential game-tying fallaway jumper within the closing seconds over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Tatum, who’s 3-for-13 on game-tying or go-ahead discipline aim makes an attempt within the ultimate 10 seconds of fourth quarter and overtimes over the previous two seasons, admitted afterward he rushed the shot. He mentioned he did not know if Denver would use its ultimate foul to offer, which might have pressured the Celtics, who have been out of timeouts, to inbound the ball once more.

“I believe I type of rushed it, and that is on me,” he mentioned. “At the back of my thoughts, I wasn’t positive in the event that they have been going to foul. That they had a foul to offer. However I had extra time than I gave myself, so I ought to have taken some extra time.

“However, cannot return. One thing I can be taught from.”

It felt like a late-stage playoff sport for a lot of causes — together with Boston’s offense getting gummed up late. However whereas the Celtics want to have a number of of these late pictures again, together with a few wide-open 3-pointers missed by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White with a minute to go, it was additionally a sport the place Denver’s stars carried the night time.

Jokic and Jamal Murray (35 factors, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) mixed for 69 factors on 29-for-43 taking pictures (5-for-11 from 3-point vary).

Tatum and Brown, then again, mixed for 35 factors on 15-for-43 taking pictures (2-for-17 from 3-point vary).

Requested when he first felt like it could be such a great night time, Murray mentioned with a smile, “It must be [like that] each night time.” He then went into the “technical” nature of the sport and the way each groups have been throwing totally different seems to be at one another all through.

“We blended it up,” he mentioned. “I believe they did the identical for a pair stretches. It was a technical sport, what I am saying? As a result of everybody on the court docket needs to be on the identical web page. It felt like every timeout one thing was totally different. They got here out in a 2-1-2 zone, then they put Jrue [Holiday] on me to begin and JB [Jaylen Brown] would press, typically they change with urgent, typically they’d blitz, what I am saying?

“Like I mentioned, it was simply a type of video games the place we needed to determine it out, as effectively. Each groups, , have been countering one another. It simply type of felt like that and simply each throwing haymakers and we have been in a position to have the ultimate punch.”

Each groups, roughly, performed playoff rotations. Aaron Gordon was on the court docket the complete second half, taking part in backup middle for Denver — as he did throughout the title run — in an effort to sluggish Kristaps Porzingis after he scored 15 first-quarter factors. The opposite elite gamers on either side all performed over 35 minutes — and at excessive depth.

“You are taking part in in opposition to the very best staff within the NBA,” Malone mentioned. “It was like a playoff sport. I do know that is solely Sport 43, 44, no matter it’s, however type of like a playoff sport, playoff environment and two actually good groups. , they have been within the Finals two years in the past. They have been within the Jap Convention finals final 12 months. They’ve excessive hopes, as will we.

“It was a sport that we have been all in. We put all of our chips in and we have been fortunate sufficient to get the end result that we desired.”

Boston was simply the thirteenth staff in NBA historical past to begin a season 20-0 at residence, and it seemed for lengthy stretches like that streak would hit 21. Ultimately, although, it was the expertise of Denver that gained the night time — and Jokic, taking part in together with his thoughts and coronary heart elsewhere, exhibiting why he is a two-time MVP and rapidly ascending the checklist of all-time greats.

“It is not a simple process, consider me,” Porzingis mentioned of attempting to sluggish Jokic. “He is the primary focus, clearly, and he nonetheless will get his numbers just about each night time. He is simply that good.

“He isn’t quick, he is not something nevertheless it’s simply pure basketball expertise. [He’s a] pure basketball mastermind.”

ESPN Stats & Data contributed to this report