5 Key Points for Celtics vs. Nuggets Showdown

The Denver Nuggets (20-14) will face off against the Boston Celtics (26-10) tonight on TNT at 10 ET. This matchup will feature the two most recent NBA champions, providing fans with an exciting game as the season reaches its halfway point. It will be the first meeting between these two teams this season, giving both teams a true test of their skills and strategies.

Here are five things to know heading into this marquee matchup:

Nikola Jokić (No. 1) and Jayson Tatum (No. 4) both rank in the top 5 of the Kia MVP Ladder as they have continued to elevate their play this year. Jokić is scoring a career-high 31.5 points per game while leading the NBA with 14 triple-doubles. Tatum is posting career highs in rebounding (9.4) and assists (5.5) while averaging 28.1 ppg. 

Denver (120.8 ppg) and Boston (118.5) are the third- and fourth-highest-scoring teams in the league, respectively. They’re both top ten in net rating and top five in true shooting percentage. 

Clutch stats are accumulated in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime of games with a point differential of five or fewer. These are the two best-scoring teams in those moments. Boston has 11 clutch wins while Denver has 10 and no team has more than 12 in 2024-25.

Boston started the season dominantly, racing to a 21-5 record. They’re now 26-10 after splitting their last 10 games. 

Three-pointers make up 50 of the Celtics’ 90 field goal attempts per game, the most in league history.  The Nuggets are the opposite, shooting the fewest total 3-pointers per game at 31.1. Tonight’s contest will put the clash of offensive styles on full display.