Preview: The Denver Nuggets welcome the defending champion Boston Celtics

It is a great success tonight. The two previous NBA Champions square off as the Denver Nuggets host the Boston Celtics at the Ball Arena. The Celtics haven’t missed a beat since winning the title. They own a 26-10 record, are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference standings and remain the odds on favorite to win the title this year. They boast the best starting 5 in the league and are led by stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The Nuggets have been playing better recently, so this will be a true test of where they stand in their quest to remain in contender status.

The essential

WHO: Denver Nuggets (20-14) vs Boston Celtics (26-10)

When: 20:00 MST

Where: The can. Denver, CO

How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs don’t condone piracy … unless it’s the romanticized 17th century kind. TNT, Altitude Radio 92.5FM. Show up with Dunkin, a sense of defeat, and some famous actress named Jennifer, and security will probably just assume you’re Ben Affleck.

Rival Blog: Celtic’s blog

Matchups

Damage report: Aaron Gordon – out (calf), Vlatko Cancar – out (knee), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), Spencer Jones – out (adductor), PJ Hall – out (G-League); Baylor Scheierman – Out (G-League), JD Davidson – Out (G-League), Drew Peterson – Out (G-League), Anton Watson – Out (G-League).

The three things

Things to watch out for: Russell Westbrook vs. Jrue Holiday

Two guys who have been in the league for a long time face each other tonight. Russell Westbrook has been the X-Factor for Denver since being inserted into the starting lineup with Aaron Gordon out. He brings a different angle to the game than Jamal Murray and the two together as Denver’s starting court has reaped success. However, Russ’ best bet in terms of scoring is attacking the basket, and Jrue remains one of the best players in the league at keeping opposing guards from attacking the basket. I’m sure Jrue will be all too happy to let Russ settle for jumpers so he’ll have to work for his buckets. Since Westbrook entered the starting lineup (and Christian Braun entered a shooting slump), the spacing hasn’t been great for Denver. Most teams are content to let Denver’s perimeter guys (outside of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray) bomb away and take their chances. Russ has the ability to change that with his dribble penetration and at times that has been a lifesaver this season. If he can’t get it going tonight against Jrue, it could be a very long night for Denver.

Things to remember: This team is looking for revenge

Don’t believe for a second that the Celtics have forgotten about getting their first home loss and getting swept in the regular season by the Nuggets last year. While it ultimately worked out for Boston since Denver lacked a return trip to the Finals, the Celtics have yet to get their payback. I’m guessing they’ll be pretty beefed up for this game. Throw in the fact that a team that barely loses and almost never loses twice is coming to Denver coming off a loss, and this game spells disaster if the Nuggets don’t have maximum energy from the jump.

Things to bet on: Nikola Jokic over 29.5 points (-115)

The Celtics have a glut of perimeter defenders. They won’t give up easy baskets to Denver’s wings. However, we have ample evidence to show that Kristaps Porzingis can’t contain Nikola Jokic, and when the Nuggets play Porzingis’ Celtics, they feed the big man. Joker has scored 30 or more in four of his last five matchups with Porzingis, and in the one he didn’t, he scored 29. He’s also averaging 31.5 points per game. game in the season and 36.6 points per game in his last five. I feel pretty comfortable with this one.