Jayson Tatum off mark in clutch as Celtics fall to Nuggets

DENVER — For the second time this week — and for the second time this season towards the Denver Nuggets — Jayson Tatum had the ball in his palms with an opportunity to place his Boston Celtics forward within the closing seconds.

As soon as once more, Tatum did not reap the benefits of his alternative.

With the Celtics down by two, Tatum missed a wide-open nook 3-pointer with 45 seconds to go, capping an unpleasant efficiency on what turned out to be Boston’s remaining likelihood to take the lead. After the miss, Nikola Jokic completed a 32-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double with a lob to Aaron Gordon for a dunk that sealed Denver’s 115-109 victory.

“That nook 3, it was a very good shot,” Tatum stated. “I assumed it was getting into. We had some alternatives.”

That Boston (48-14) even had an opportunity to win was type of exceptional, given how listless Tatum was all through. He completed with 15 factors on 5-for-13 capturing to associate with 4 rebounds and eight assists. Along with that wide-open missed 3, Tatum additionally had a few essential turnovers in transition within the fourth quarter, made a number of passive drives to the rim and was usually not as concerned as he usually is.

“I feel with the dynamic of our group, when different guys form of received it getting into a rhythm, in a circulation, form of simply you gotta area the ground,” Tatum stated when requested about his efficiency. “We at all times speak about respecting different individuals’s area. If that requires being within the nook or passing them the ball, that is what we’re attempting to do on that possession. You gotta honor that.”

The Celtics stayed within the recreation because of a sensational efficiency from Jaylen Brown, who had 41 factors, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and two steals in 41 minutes. However they repeatedly value themselves with sloppy play, giving the Nuggets (43-20) a 16-6 edge in factors off turnovers, and completed 11-for-38 (28.9 %) from 3-point vary.

“Simply too many errors,” Brown stated. “In opposition to a very good group, we gotta take benefit. Turnovers, free throws, simply lacking the defensive assignments, all of that stuff, we gotta be higher at.

“And that begins with me, it begins on the prime, begins with Jayson. … We made too many errors, and it value us the sport.”

The Nuggets had been ruthless in exploiting these errors, significantly Jokic, who had a second straight masterful efficiency towards Boston. His 32-point triple-double Thursday evening got here after he had 34 factors, 12 rebounds and 9 assists in Denver’s win in Boston in January.

Jokic repeatedly discovered himself in single protection towards Kristaps Porzingis and used his measurement and energy to bully himself all the way down to the basket for simple buckets. When Boston would carry a double group, Jokic would usually reply by hitting Gordon for a number of lob dunks, together with the one which broke Boston’s backs with 19 seconds to go.

“He is the middle that I’ve at all times, the participant that I’ve at all times dreamed of enjoying with,” Gordon stated of Jokic afterward. “He is somebody that sees the ground, somebody that’s tremendous unselfish. And I feel he likes simply the truth that he can simply throw it wherever and I am going to go get it.”

For his half, Porzingis stated he discovered some issues about guarding Jokic that he’ll take into their subsequent encounter — one the Celtics hope will probably be in just a few months.

“He was undoubtedly in his bag tonight,” stated Porzingis, who completed with 24 factors and 12 rebounds. “He is simply an unimaginable basketball participant. Some issues I discovered from him immediately, really. He is simply so good, so artful, so many issues that you do not see that he does on the ground that helps that group win. It is unimaginable.”

Like the primary assembly between these groups, Thursday evening’s recreation had a playoff ambiance, as each groups performed their starters heavy minutes. Not like that first recreation, which was performed in a raucous — however very one-sided — TD Backyard, Thursday’s win for Denver was in entrance of a crowd with various Celtics followers in it.

That allowed Nuggets coach Michael Malone to carry out a line, as he left the rostrum, that he is used up to now.

“Playoff ambiance, for certain, as we talked [about] pregame,” he stated. “It’s important to give the Celtics followers some credit score. … They at all times come out sturdy.

“However you understand what we are saying, proper? They’ll take that ‘L’ on the best way out, child.”

The Celtics misplaced their second recreation in a row, after Tuesday’s disappointing collapse towards Cleveland. It was additionally their second loss this season to the Nuggets, whom many count on them to face in June’s NBA Finals.

Boston hasn’t performed its greatest in its two video games towards Denver, capturing a mixed 25-for-82 (30.4%) from 3-point vary whereas seeing Tatum shoot simply 14-for-37 (37.8%) from the sphere.

However after arising brief in each of their cracks on the defending champions, the common message from the Celtics was that for issues to alter in June, they will merely must be higher.

“That is a extremely good group over there,” Tatum stated. “Effectively coached. They make proper performs as a rule and also you gotta beat them. You may’t depend upon them to beat themselves. They’re only a actually good ball membership over there.”