How Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis delivered on promise in win over Nuggets
Yesterday at 10:42 AM
It’s no surprise that the Boston Celtics have high standards. The reigning champions go into nearly every game expecting to win, and when they fall short, they’re always looking to respond. Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis embodied this bounce-back mentality on Tuesday night during a 118-106 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Before facing the 2023 NBA champions, Porzingis and company encountered the rolling Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the C’s took a 10-point lead at halftime, the red-hot Thunder went off in the second half and held the Green Team to just 27 points in the last 24 minutes of play. The Celtics fell 105-92, their most lopsided defeat since Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals.
Boston’s second half in OKC was arguably its worst stretch of basketball all season, and Porzingis was particularly ashamed.
“We will bounce back,” he posted on Instagram following the loss.
Kristaps Porzingis with a simple message for Celtics fans:
"We will bounce back"
(Via @kporzee on IG) pic.twitter.com/MgajQeCaXD
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 6, 2025
How did the Celtics respond vs. the Nuggets?
It didn’t take him long to deliver on that promise. Against the Nuggets, Porzingis dropped 25 points (while shooting 50% from the field) and a season-high 11 rebounds. He also notched three assists, two steals, and one block in 34 minutes of play.
Since the Nuggets were without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic due to an untimely illness, they struggled to slow Porzingis down. The Latvian big man punished Denver in the paint, helping Boston record an impressive 60 points in that area.
While 6-foot-10 Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. approaches Porzingis’ 7-foot-2 stature, nobody could truly contain the second-year Celtic. Denver was forced to frequently foul Porzingis instead, allowing him to attempt a game-high eight free throws.
Epic block by Porzingis on DeAndre Jordan. No Brandon Knight here.pic.twitter.com/5xxLr4U8pX
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) January 8, 2025
Celtics guard Jrue Holiday committed to bouncing back in the Mile High City as well. He finished with two points against Oklahoma City, yet dropped 19 points, seven assists, and two steals against Denver. His 10 fourth-quarter points led all scorers and held off the surging Nuggets, who nearly fought back from a 15-point deficit in the final frame.
Last, but not least, was Celtics star Jayson Tatum. The MVP candidate contributed a game-high 29 points and had the highest plus-minus rating (plus-23) of any player. Even though he converted on just one of his nine attempts from deep, he worked well inside the arc and had a team-high 18 points in the paint.
Jayson Tatum EWWWW pic.twitter.com/5zjFEglWBF
— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) January 8, 2025
Tuesday night marked Boston’s first win at Ball Arena since March of 2022. In addition, it improved the Green Team’s record after a loss to 9-1. The now 27-10 Celtics can finally head home for their first game at TD Garden in 2025.
First up in Beantown, the Celtics will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Despite disappointing at the end of 2024, the 18-19 Kings have won five games in a row, which is good enough for their longest winning streak of the season. A victory against the Celtics would make a statement for the Kings, however, the defending champs understand that’s the reality when hunting for back-to-back titles and facing a struggling squad with nothing to lose.
The post How Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis delivered on promise in win over Nuggets appeared first on ClutchPoints.
