NBA: Nuggets vs Celtics - First Home Loss in 27 Games

The Boston Celtics lose their perfect home record to the Denver Nuggets in a close game, but still lead the Eastern Conference.

The highly anticipated matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets did not disappoint as it lived up to its potential as a preview of the NBA Finals. The Celtics, with the best record in the league at 32-9, were comfortably leading the Eastern Conference standings with a four-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks. On the other hand, the Nuggets were looking to get back to their winning ways after a 3-3 record in their last six games.

The Celtics were unbeaten at home during the 2023-24 NBA season, winning all 20 games played at TD Garden, marking the best home start in franchise history. In fact, their last regular season home loss dated back to March 5th, 2023, making it 27 consecutive home wins. However, this streak came to an end at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray led the Nuggets to victory, combining for 69 of the team's 102 points and holding the Celtics to their second-lowest point total of the season at 100. Boston's star players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, struggled from beyond the arc, with Tatum shooting 1 for 8 and Brown shooting 1 for 9 from 3-point range. Despite a close game, the Celtics fell short as Tatum's potential game-tying shot rimmed out at the buzzer.

Although the loss was disappointing for the Celtics, they still maintain a significant lead in the Eastern Conference. They did lose ground to the Philadelphia 76ers, who are in third place, but maintained a four-game lead over them. The Milwaukee Bucks, in second place, were off on Friday and remain 3.5 games behind the Celtics for the top spot.

Looking ahead, the Celtics will play three away games before returning home for a seven-game stretch. They will face tough competition, including the Los Angeles Clippers, the new-look Indiana Pacers, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite the loss to the Nuggets, the Celtics are focused on starting a new winning streak at home and maintaining their dominance in the Eastern Conference.