In their second and final preseason game in Abu Dhabi, the Boston Celtics blew out the Denver Nuggets, winning by a score of 130-104. The starters played throughout the first half, helping Boston gain a comfortable lead, but it was the bench guys who solidified the Celtics’ place in front.
Boston played an all-around basketball game, fighting for great shots and executing impressive defensive rotations. After a tightly contested victory over the Nuggets in their preseason opener, the Celtics left no room for questions in this one. It was such a dominant win that there weren’t many duds, but as is always the case, room for improvement is always available.
Here are three studs and three duds from Boston’s second preseason win over Denver.
Honorable mention: Jaylen Brown looks more confident than ever, but he was the first cut from the studs list. There were just too many awesome players.
Stud - Derrick White
After a somewhat wishy-washy first preseason game, Derrick White was lighting it up this time around. He was all over the floor, and perhaps more importantly, confidence was oozing.
White finished the contest with 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists while shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-6 from beyond the three-point line.
Obviously, White would probably want to shoot a bit better from behind the arc, but that wasn’t a huge problem in this game. He was taking good shots, and his work inside the arc stood out even more.
The Celtics guard was making plays all over the floor, including on the defensive side of the ball. These are the types of games fans should be hoping to get from White on a nightly basis.