Joe Mazzulla Gives Blunt Assessment After Celtics’ Loss to Nuggets
A 103-84 loss to the Denver Nuggets saw the Boston Celtics end their West Coast road trip with a 3-1 record. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket, struggling from all three scoring levels. The loss has also ended the team’s chances of reaching the famed “40-20” milestone.
During his postgame news conference, head coach Joe Mazzulla gave a detailed and honest breakdown of what led to Boston’s loss.
“There’s probably, we talk about 10 to 15 (possessions), maybe you want to pick 30 today,” Mazzulla said, via CLNS Media. “And we’ll see how we approach preparation for our next game, and I think that can dictate how well we handled today…They were very physical at the point of attack. They were good switching up their matchups a little bit, but I thought they were just physical at the point of attack, and they defended us well.”
In recent months, the Celtics’ rebounding has significantly improved. However, with tired legs at the end of a gruelling road trip, Mazzulla’s team gave up 23 second-chance points to the Nuggets while losing the rebounding battle 54-48. What’s worse is that 14 of Denver’s 54 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Denver also won in the margins, generating 14 points via turnovers and eating the Celtics’ defense alive in the paint to the tune of 42 points. Furthermore, the Nuggets had more active hands in the passing lane, deflecting a total of 17 passes as opposed to Boston’s 11. Denver controlled the tempo and pace, and found ways to generate quality shots in spite of the Celtics’ defense.
Boston will now head home as it prepares to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Feb. 27. Mazzulla’s team is leading the season series against Brooklyn 2-1. Fans will be hoping that a full day’s rest, back home with their families, will ensure the Celtics are back to, or at least near, their best as they suit up on their home floor.
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