NBA · Regular season
Boston 78 — Denver 74 · third quarter, 5:42 remaining
Celtics leading with the cover-two holding the perimeter in the half court. The pace has been slow and the possessions long.
Quarter-by-quarter
Q3 · 5:42. Celtics 78 — Nuggets 74. The cover-two is forcing Denver into late-clock possessions; Boston have committed to switching on the perimeter and dropping the centre into the paint.
Q2. Celtics 56 — Nuggets 52. The half closed with Boston on a 7-2 run, anchored by the second-chance points from the offensive glass.
Q1. Celtics 28 — Nuggets 24. Denver won the tip and the first three minutes, but the Celtics caught up through the second-chance points and the foul-drawing on drives.
Lineups
Boston: Holiday · Brown · Tatum · Porzingis · Horford. The bench unit has run through the usual eight-man rotation with the second-unit point guard running the offence.
Denver: Murray · Caldwell-Pope · Porter Jr · Gordon · Jokić. The bench unit has been shorter than usual, with the second-unit centre logging heavy minutes.
Tactical read
The Celtics are not switching every screen. They are switching only the perimeter screens, with Horford dropping to the level of the screen and the wing recovering. Denver have responded by running the action higher up the floor, with Murray getting the ball earlier in the possession. The result is a slow, grinding third quarter that has suited Boston's pace.
What to watch in Q4
- Whether Denver go to Jokić in the post more frequently. The Celtics have sent the double from the strong-side corner, but the post entries have been limited.
- Whether Boston extend their rotation, or keep the second unit short to maintain the defensive intensity.
- Whether the foul situation forces either coach into a longer-than-comfortable bench rotation.