The NBA said on Wednesday that, as part of an initiative to take the game global, the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets would play two preseason games in October in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Prior to perhaps hinting at something greater in June, the teams must finish their two-game series this season.
On Thursday night, Denver plays host to Boston in what could be a sneak peek at an NBA Finals series. Both teams are hoping to bounce back from heartbreaking defeats on Tuesday night. The Nuggets are the defending champions, while the Celtics have the best record in the league.
Boston fell 105-104 against Cleveland after blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter. After trailing by 22 points, Denver came back to lead Phoenix by three points in the closing seconds. However, Kevin Durant forced overtime, where the Suns prevailed 117-107 thanks to Durant’s dominance.
The Celtics are hoping to bounce back soon after their 11-game winning streak was snapped.
Following Tuesday’s defeat, Jaylen Brown stated, “Whether everyone wants to throw it away or not, we’ve got to look at the film and address some stuff, because that matters.” “Everything depends on your habits. Your mindset is crucial. Additionally, you cannot waste any time or possessions while playing the game. Thus, today is significant. We must examine that.
Brown may also consider what transpired on January 19, when the Nuggets defeated Boston 102-100 at home for their first loss of the season. With 69 points apiece, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic were too much for the Celtics to contain.
In the closing seconds that evening, Jayson Tatum missed a basket, exactly as he did on Tuesday against the Cavaliers.
Thursday night’s game might be close as well, but given both teams’ recent losses, it probably will be more intense. Before losing on Tuesday, Denver had won its first six games following the All-Star break, including away games against Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Tomorrow is going to be better for everyone in this situation. “We have a lot more positive energy and better clarity tomorrow,” stated Murray, who scored a team-high 28 points against Phoenix. But things are hard today. Not a single individual shot poorly; pretty much everyone did.”
With 21 games remaining, the Celtics hold a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference, while the Nuggets are engaged in a fierce Western rivalry. They trail the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves by one game for the top spot, but they are only one and a half games clear of the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers.
Although Denver won a championship last season as the top seed in the conference, players have differing opinions about how important home-court advantage is in the West. Jokic studied the possible first-round matches, which might feature two recent champions, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope declared recently that “we want the No. 1 seed.”.
“Nobody wants the Lakers in the first round or Golden State in the first round,” he stated.
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