Boston Celtics (0-0) vs. Denver Nuggets, Preseason Game #1, 10/4/24

The Celtics begin the preseason with 2 games against the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi. The last two NBA champions begin after a short offseason for the Celtics, who played into June before winning their 18th championship. The Nuggets had a slightly longer offseason, as they lost to the Timberwolves in seven games and ended the season on May 19. Both teams had players in the Olympics, including Jokic and Murray of the Denver Nuggets and Tatum, Holiday and White of the Celtics in the Games.

This is the second time in three months that Tatum, White, Holiday, Jokic and Murray have been in Abu Dhabi to play basketball. They were in attendance at the USA Basketball Showcase leading up to the Paris Olympics. Murray, on Team Canada, eliminated Team Canada in the quarterfinals, while Team USA won gold and the Serbian national team finished with the bronze medal.

This is the third year in a row that the NBA has scheduled preseason games in Abu Dhabi. In 2022, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks faced each other in two games in Abu Dhabi, with the Hawks winning both games. In 2023, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks traveled to Abu Dhabi for two friendly matches. This was a preview of the Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves won both games in the preseason, but Dallas won in the WCF.

The Celtics lost the series 2-0 to the Nuggets last season, losing 109-115 in Denver and 100-102 in Boston. The Nuggets were the only team the Celtics didn't beat in the regular season last year. The Celtics return largely unscathed from last year's team, losing only Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett. Key additions include Baylor Scheierman and Anton Walker through the draft and Lonnie Walker IV as a free agent with a training camp contract.

The Nuggets lost their two starters, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, to the Orlando Magic in free agency. They also lost Reggie Jackson and Justin Holiday. They added some very important players in Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric as well as DaRon Holmes II. Westbrook is a terrible volume player and can be a liability on defense, but he brings energy and is an explosive playmaker. They assume that Saric will make the difference for them off the bench.

The biggest question for the Nuggets is who will inherit the starting shooting guard spot with Caldwell-Pope gone. Most believe Christian Braun will fill that spot, but Malone could opt for Julian Strawther or even Russell Westbrook. We will likely see Michael Malone experiment with this position in these preseason games, unless he has already made that decision.

The biggest question for the Celtics will be center rotation with Kristaps Porzingis out until December. Xavier Tillman received a lot of praise in training camp. Luke Kornet was very consistent in his minutes last season and Neemias Queta brings energy. I expect Al Horford to start in this game, but Joe Mazzulla will likely keep an eye on each of these players to see which of them deserves more playing time.

Kristaps Porzingis is the only player on the Celtics' injured list. He is out after the playoffs due to ankle surgery and is expected to be out until at least December. The Nuggets have Peyton Watson out with a hamstring injury. The injury is not serious but he is expected to miss at least the first two preseason games. DaRon Holmes is out after tearing his Achilles tendon during Summer League

Likely Celtics starters

Grid view

Celtics reserves
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh

2-way player
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anthony Watson

Training camp contracts
Tristan Enaruna
Ron Harper, Jr
Dmytro Skapintsev
Lonnie Walker IV

Injuries/losses
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is out

Head coach
Joe Mazzulla

Likely Nuggets starters

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Nuggets reserves
Vlatko Cancar
DeAndre Jordan
Zeke Nnaji
Jalen Pickett
Dario Saric
Julian Strawther
Hunter Tyson
Russell Westbrook

2-way player
Trey Alexander
PJ Hall
Spencer Jones

Training camp contracts
Gabe McGlothan
Jaylin Williams
Jahmir Young

Failure/injuries
DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) is out
Peyton Watson (hamstring) is out

Head coach
Michael Malone

Key Matches

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• 

  Al Horford
  
  

  Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
  

• 

  Nikola Jokic
  
  

  Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
  

Al Horford vs. Nikola Jokic
Jokic has won multiple MVP titles and is in the MVP conversation every season for good reason. Last season he averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists. He shot 58.3% from the field and 35.9% from distance. Against the Celtics last season, he averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 61% from the field and 50% from distance. In January, when these teams played, Malone had Jokic defend Jrue Holiday and he held him to 3-for-8 shooting, making Jokic a problem for the Celtics on both ends of the court. I don't expect either team's starters to play big minutes.

Grid view

• 

  Jrue holiday
  
  

  Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
  

• 

  Jamal Murray
  
  

  Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images
  

Jrue Holiday vs. Jamal Murray
Murray averaged 21.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists last season. He shot 48.1% from the field and 42.5% from distance. In January against the Celtics, he scored 35 points on 71% shooting as well as 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Although Murray struggled in the playoffs and the Olympics, he is expected to be healthy and ready to play in this game.

Honorable mention
Jaylen Brown vs. Michael Porter, Jr.
Porter averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He shot 48.1% from the field and 39.7% from distance. This should be a good matchup and it's Jaylen Brown's first opportunity to show his added motivation from the snubs this summer.

Key to the game
defense – Whether in the preseason, regular season or postseason, defense will always be the key to winning games. Last season, the Celtics were first in the league with a defensive rating of 108.2 and the Nuggets were 5th with a defensive rating of 110.9. The Celtics will need to prioritize defense again this season if they want to become champions again.

Rebounding – Rebounding is another key to winning every game. Last season, the Celtics were first in the league with an average of 46.3 rebounds per game. The Nuggets ranked 2nd in the league with 44.4 rebounds per game. Rebounding requires effort and the Celtics will have to work harder to grab rebounds to limit the Nuggets' second-chance points and fast breaks. The Celtics can't let the Nuggets overtake them on the boards.

Effort and energy for 48 minutes – I know it’s just preseason, but the Celtics need to be aggressive. They have to fight for open balls, defend aggressively, drive aggressively to the basket and play harder than the Nuggets the entire game. They have to be the team that wants more and plays like that. I expect the reserves and camp guys to play some minutes and that they should all put in extra effort to secure playing time or a roster spot.

3-point shooting – The Celtics relied on shooting threes last season. They were first in the league making 43.5 three-pointers per game. They also ranked 1st in the league with 16.5 three-pointers per game. Michael Malone has said he wants his team to shoot more three-pointers this season. Last season they were 10th in 3-point percentage at 37.4%, but they were 30th in 3-point attempts at just 31.2 per game. It may be that both teams have plenty in this game Score threes.

X factors
rust – This is the first preseason game for both teams. Both teams have 4 of their starters from last season in the lineup that I assume will start. Both have been training since September 27th. Will they show rust early in the game or have they already shaken off the rust in training camp?

On the way – This game takes street gaming to the extreme. Will players suffer from jet lag or travel fatigue? The Celtics were 27-14 on the road last season, while the Nuggets were 24-17 on the road. The Nuggets have one of the biggest home field advantages because they play at high altitude. In this game, neither team has the advantage.

Officiating – I know I say this every game, but management can always be a deciding factor, even in pre-season and even in Abu Dhabi. Every team decides the game differently, whether they punish every little ticky-tack foul or give up a lot of contact and let the teams play. The referees are also in their preseason, so it's hard to know how they will handle this season. The Celtics need to get used to the way the game is called and not allow the calls to affect their concentration or play.

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