Getty Michael Malone
Many Boston Celtics fans showed up when they took on the Denver Nuggets on March 7. So much so that The Athletic’s Jared Weiss posted a video of chants of “Let’s go Celtics!” and “Let’s go Nuggets!” via his X account.
The Celtics corner is going off after the last run and I think there’s a battle between Let’s go Celtics and Let’s go Nuggets chants happening right now
During his postgame press conference, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone singled out Celtics fans for their passion but took pride in the victory.
“You’ve got to give the Celtics fans credit. They always come out strong. But you know what we say. They can take that L on the way out, baby,” Malone said, per Harrison Wind’s X account.
Michael Malone: “You’ve got to give the Celtics fans credit. They always come out strong. But you know what we say. They can take that L on the way out, baby.”
Because of their long history as a franchise, the Celtics’ fandom is spread throughout the country and the world. Denver is clearly no exception to this.
By beating the Celtics, the Nuggets are the only team that has beaten Boston twice during the 2023-24 season. It also marks the first time the Celtics have lost two in a row since the second week of the season when they lost to the 76ers and Timberwolves. The loss drops the Celtics to 48-14.
Jaylen Brown Wishes He Could Have Covered Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic played a major role in the Nuggets’ victory over the Celtics, scoring 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. During his postgame press conference, Jaylen Brown talked about how difficult it is to cover to Jokic, adding that he wished he could have covered him.
“I felt like I should have guarded Jokic a little bit”
Jaylen Brown talks about the Celtics’ defensive scheme on Jokic
“Jokic is just a monster down there,” Brown said, per Celtics on NBC Sports Boston’s X account. “So we threw some different coverages at him. We guarded him one-on-one, and tried to have late help and stuff like that. I feel like I should have guarded Jokic a little bit, a little more. I wish I would have had those opportunities a little bit. I can keep him away from the basket and we could have took away some of those layups they got.”
Despite the loss, Brown also believed that the game was right there for the taking.
“I feel like we still had every chance to win this game. We just came up short.”
Jayson Tatum’s Thoughts About MVP Duel
Jayson Tatum went into an MVP duel with Nikola Jokic when the Celtics and Nuggets faced off. However, during his postgame press conference, Jayson Tatum talked about how he didn’t want to make the game about him after he was asked about his individual performance.
“I’m not trying to make it about myself or necessarily individual matchup,” Tatum told reporters, per Celtics on CLNS’ X account. “That’s not the way our team is set up”
Tatum added what he means when he talks about how it’s about the team and not him.
“We talk about respecting each other’s space and understanding the flow of the game. It’s not upon me to hijack the game and try make it about me and it’s a national TV game. Other guys had it going, so if I have to be in the corner, if I have to be a facilitator at times, so be it.”
In 38 minutes, Tatum finished with 15 points on five-for-13 shooting. The Celtics almost won despite Tatum’s struggles, but it shows how badly they need him to be at his best for them to beat the reigning champs.