Celtics show they are no joke: 3 golden nuggets who shined vs Denver

Win baby, just win!  The Boston Celtics made it 5 wins in a row with a 131-112 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Friday night at TD Garden.

In a battle of two of the hottest teams in the league, it was the Celtics who came out hot jumping out to a quick first quarter lead that they never relinquished.

Led by Jason Tatum and his game-high 34 points and Jaylen Brown who contributed with 25 points, the hometown team continued their offensive mastery in taking care of one of the top teams in the West as their star duo of Tatum and Brown got the best of Nuggets duo Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Boston Celtics continue to run through teams with their depth

As the Celtics outlasted a couple of Nuggets runs in this game, what set them apart was their role players and bench play.  With Malcolm Brogdon sitting this game out, Joe Mazzula’s team needed a spark off the bench, and they got that in Payton Pritchard.  The third-year guard who has been buried near the end of the bench got his chance to shine and oh did he shine.  Look at this pure hustle:

Pritchard finished the game with 11 points and may have earned himself some more minutes.

"“I’ve said it to him, I’ve said it to others.  No matter what situation he’s in when his name gets called, I trust he’s gonna be ready to play, I trust he’s gonna know the game plan, I trust he’s gonna have a great mindset,” Mazzulla said, via Masslive.com.  “And so, it’s a compliment to the locker room that the guys like each other, and they keep each other engaged, and it’s a real compliment to him that regardless of the circumstances he’s going to execute.”"

It really says a lot about the depth the Boston Celtics have this season.  While Al Horford also did his thing in this game going hot from beyond the stripe, Grant Williams, Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet continue to contribute whenever their names are called.  Along with Marcus Smart, the supporting cast take a lot of pressure off Tatum and Brown when it comes to scoring which makes them better star players.

Speaking of starts of this victory over Denver, here are 3 golden nuggets who helped the Celtics ride home with their 5th consecutive victory.

Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown comes out blazing

You knew the Boston Celtics were up for this showdown against the Nuggets with the way their stars came out in this game, particularly Jaylen Brown.

JB came out in this game on fire, going 10-of-10 from the field before finally missing a shot late in the game.  Though his torrid shooting was noticeable, Brown nearly recorded a triple-double with the 25 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Again, with his hot start shooting the ball, it looked as though Brown could’ve easily put up 50 in this game.  Luckily, the Celtics got an all-around effort where they didn’t need Batman type performances from their two big stars.

But you had to know Brown had it going when he knocked down this big 3-pointer in the opening quarter:

The big nugget from Brown’s game was his assists.  Struggling with turnovers coming into the season, the next phase of his game he must improve on is his turnovers to assists ratio. In averaging 2.9 turnovers and 2.8 assists going into the game, the 8 assists to 3 turnovers is something to build on for Brown who is having an All-Star season despite that flaw.

In all, Brown is just letting the game come to him while helping his team win basketball games.

"“Just playing basketball, at the end of the day,” Brown said prior to the game, via Boston.com.  “Focusing on the game, seeing the floor, making the reads, playing, having fun and taking advantage of opportunities.  That’s what you see on the floor, just some guys having some fun.”"

When Brown is scoring and making plays in other facets of the game, it is really fun to watch and will just make the Boston Celtics a tougher team to beat once he becomes a complete playmaker on a consistent basis.

Boston Celtics veteran big man Al Horford the sharpshooter?

The Boston Celtics don’t have that official 3rd player to complete the Big 3, but as Friday night proved they have a few players who could fill that role on a given night.

As much as Marcus Smart believes he’s a piece of that Big 3, the Celtics have other players like Al Horford, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and even Grant Williams who could step into that role on any given night.

On Friday night against Jokic that player was Horford, who was deadly behind the strip as he went 6-of-8 from deep with a season-high 21 points.  The 16-year veteran was really a golden nugget in the fourth quarter when he knocked down 3 of his 3’s in helping the Celtics on a big run that started in the third quarter and went into the fourth.

The big man was a big factor and took advantage in how the Nuggets were playing him.

"“More than anything, it was just the way [the Nuggets] were playing,” Horford said following the game.  “They were pressuring Jayson and some of our guys quite a bit, and I got some open looks.  The guys did a good job finding me and they were just good looks – I had to take them.”"

Horford has been hitting those shots consistently this season which will be huge in the Celtics success going forward.  While he will more than likely sit out against the Detroit Pistons on the backend of back-to-back games, Horford is showing he is still a big factor on the court when he’s fresh and rested.

Boston Celtics super starJayson Tatum continues to make his MVP statement

It seems like after every game Jayson Tatum is one of the stars of the game, as it should be.

As the leader on the court and MVP candidate, Tatum should be the best player on the court on any night against any given team.  Whether he is on the court with Ja Morant or Nikola Jokic, Tatum is showing that he is more than a scorer, but a playmaking who is making the players on the court better.

In Friday night’s victory, Tatum led the team with 34 points, but it was really the way he set up the players around him that once again stood out in this game.  Not only is he more aggressive driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line, but you can also tell he has trust in his teammates as he is finding them for open shots.

It does help that they are knocking down those shots, but it is really adding to the confidence of the Celtics super star on the rise.  As far as getting to the line, when asked if he now has his complete game figured out, Tatum acknowledged he is still young and has room for improvement, which is scary.

"“Last piece kind of sound like I’ve got it figured out,” Tatum said, via Boston.com.  “And far from it.  Still only 24.  Just trying to make the game easier for myself, and then ultimately easier for my teammates.”"

Let’s leave it right there.