On January 8th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Denver Nuggets host the Boston Celtics.
The Nuggets' starting lineup for today's game was Murray, Westbrook, Saric, Porter Jr., and Braun.
The Celtics started with Holiday, Brown, Porzingis, Horford, and Tatum.
Without Jokic and Gordon, the Nuggets' strength has significantly decreased, while the Celtics are at full strength, boasting an exceptionally strong lineup.
If the Nuggets had their full roster, they might have been able to compete with the Celtics, but as it stands, their chances of victory seem slim unless someone has a superhuman performance.
The first quarter began with both teams trading blows, making for an exciting start.
However, during the stalemate, the Celtics' superior strength became evident as they launched wave after wave of offensive surges, gradually widening the gap.
The Nuggets started off well with their shooting, with Porter Jr. and Murray hitting threes, and even Westbrook sinking two consecutive three-pointers. Despite this, the Nuggets still trailed.
The gap continued to grow, quickly reaching around ten points.
Westbrook played very reasonably today, giving his all on defense and capitalizing on opportunities to score on offense. He has done everything he could, but the opponent is just too strong. The complete Celtics lineup is firing on all cylinders, and they are missing one key player, White.
The first quarter ended with the Nuggets trailing by 12 points, 25-37.
In the second quarter, the Nuggets made a full-scale counterattack, with Strus leading the charge by scoring five points in a row, helping the team reduce the deficit.
The Celtics did not dare to be careless, but the Nuggets were gaining momentum, exerting defensive pressure that made scoring difficult for the Celtics.
In the latter half of this quarter, Murray went into beast mode, continuously scoring and becoming unstoppable. No one could defend against his relentless individual play, and the Nuggets managed to erase the deficit.
The half ended with the Nuggets and Celtics tied at 57-57.
Porter contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds, Westbrook had 10 points and 3 assists, Murray scored 15 points, Watson added 10 points, and Strus chipped in with 10 points for the Nuggets.
For the Celtics, Tatum had 13 points, Horford contributed 6 points and 5 rebounds, Porzingis scored 16 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, and Kornet added 8 points.
In the third quarter, the two teams continued to trade blows, with the lead changing hands multiple times.
Brown of the Celtics started to score aggressively, having struggled with his shooting in the first half. He changed his approach, opting for dunks instead of shots, which naturally increased his efficiency.
Brown and Tatum combined to score, leading to another surge that gave the Celtics a lead once again.
Westbrook, full of energy and never giving up, always found ways to help his team on the court. At this point, he repeatedly drew fouls and hit threes, helping the team close the gap.
Westbrook is a teammate that no one can dislike.
The Nuggets have given it their all, but after this quarter, despite Murray's high-difficulty scoring, they were unable to erase the deficit. It can only be said that the Celtics are just too strong.
The third quarter ended with the Nuggets trailing the Celtics by 5 points, 83-88.
In the fourth quarter, the Nuggets started with a 5-0 run to level the score. These role players for the Nuggets are truly tenacious.
At this point, both sides were unwilling to give an inch, trading blows and repeatedly tying the score.
During this period, the Nuggets played exceptionally well and had some hope of winning.
However, the Celtics suddenly unleashed a 10-0 scoring spree, and the Nuggets were unable to respond, causing the gap to widen.
The Nuggets did not give up and continued to fight back, but unfortunately, the Celtics held the lead and played more calmly, leaving no opportunities for the Nuggets.
With over a minute left in the game, the Nuggets were still trailing by more than ten points. Although they were不甘心 (unwilling to accept defeat), the game was effectively over.
Ultimately, the Nuggets lost to the Celtics 106-118. While losing to the Celtics is not unusual, it is still quite regrettable.
For the entire game, the Nuggets' Braun scored 12 points, Porter Jr. had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Westbrook posted 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, Murray added 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, Watson contributed 14 points and 4 rebounds, and Strus scored 19 points.
For the Celtics, Tatum had 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists, Porzingis scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Brown added 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, Holiday contributed 19 points and 7 assists, and Horford had 9 points and 7 rebounds.
After the game, Westbrook did not rush off the court. Instead, he embraced the Celtics players as a gesture of sportsmanship. Despite his disappointment, he showed great class by actively seeking out Brown for a hug before leaving the court.