Boston Celtics: 1 stud and 1 dud from blowout victory against Nuggets

The Boston Celtics improved to 9-3 on the season after a big 131-112 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The Celtics have been phenomenal to start this season, and they showed once again that they are an offensive juggernaut.

The Cs were in control for most of the game, and Jaylen Brown set the tone early with 12 first-quarter points. Brown did an excellent job setting the tone, and the C’s fed off his energy. Jayson Tatum took over in the second quarter, and the Celtics continued their strong shooting. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser contributed off the bench and gave the Celtics a spark. Pritchard finished with 11 points and five rebounds, and Hauser added five points and five rebounds.

Tatum and Brown continued their strong play in the second half, and the C’s largest lead was 19 points. The Celtics’ defense was strong as they had five blocks and three steals as a team. They were forcing turnovers, and they held the Nuggets to 45% shooting from the field. Tatum and Brown used a strong fourth quarter to close the game out for the C’s. Tatum finished with 34 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Brown contributed 25 points.

The Celtics’ offense continues to look incredible as they scored over 120 points for the eighth time this season. As a team, the C’s shot 55.6% from the field and 43.2% from three-point range.

The Celtics’ impressive start has them sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, and they will have to quickly turn the page tomorrow night against the Detroit Pistons. Here is one stud and one dud from the spread-covering Celtics victory.

Boston Celtics Stud: Al Horford

The choice for Friday night’s stud is center Al Horford. Although Tatum and Brown had solid performances, Horford played an important role in the win. Horford finished with 21 points and seven rebounds and shot 6/8 from three-point range. Horford played a solid game on both ends of the floor, and his shooting was important for the offense.

Horford’s ability to stretch the floor opened up the offense for Tatum and Brown to drive to the basket. This also impacted Nikola Jokić because he was forced to guard Horford away from the basket. Horford’s ability to make the opposing team’s big man work can not be stated enough.

Towards the end of the game, Horford added his sixth three of the night, a new career-high. This is amazing considering Horford is 37 years old, as it shows that father time is not undefeated. This solidified Horford’s status as tonight’s stud.

Boston Celtics Dud: Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart is tonight’s dud, and it is not entirely his fault. Smart struggled to get into the flow of the game tonight as he was in foul trouble. Smart finished with four points and four assists with one turnover. He only took four shots tonight, and he did not get involved enough.

I would have liked to have seen Smart get more involved in the office, as he did not make a big impact on the game. Also, the foul trouble lands Smart on the dud list because he has to play smarter. The game got close in the third quarter when Smart was on the bench in foul trouble. Smart has to play smarter because the C’s need him on the floor.

With a game tomorrow night against the Pistons, I expect Smart to get back on track.