POST GAME - DENVER - HOME

STUDS AND DUDS: CELTICS BEAT NUGGETS, STRETCH WIN STREAK TO 4

WEEI

By Josue Pavon

Forcing a total of 20 turnovers, the Celtics led the Nuggets throughout the final three quarters Wednesday en route to a 111-103 victory at TD Garden.

After three quarters, the Celtics scored 15 second-chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds and took a 86-71 lead into the fourth quarter. The Celtics used an 18-2 run in the final frame to open up a 22-point advantage — their biggest lead of the night. The Celtics bench totaled 40 points and took care of the lead while the starters rested.

Avery Bradley scored a game-high 27 points and Isaiah Thomas added 16 points and five assists. Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton each scored 23 points to lead the Nuggets.

The Celtics (26-21) have won four games in a row — tying a season high — and are half a game behind the Bulls for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

For a complete box score, click here. To go beyond the box, read on.

STUD OF THE NIGHT: Avery Bradley

After Bradley scored 13 first quarter points on 5-for-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, you knew it was going to be one of those shooting nights for him. The Celtics guard shot 55 percent on 11-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-13 from distance and tallied 27 points. Defensively, Bradley was a pest in the back court and finished the night with four steals.


DUD OF THE NIGHT: None

Every Celtic played a role in the win in one way or another. Jared Sullinger and Amir Johnson combined for 24 rebounds, Bradley and Thomas led in scoring and the bench picked up the slack. Kelly Olynyk’s 17 points (2-for-3 from deep) led the bench (40 points) and Marcus Smart’s stifling defense earned himself three steals as he finished the night with a plus-11 rating.

VINE OF THE NIGHT: Evan Turner tops off the 18-2 run


WHINE OF THE NIGHT: Missed layups

Although the Celtics held a comfortable lead throughout most of the night, they missed a flurry of points in the paint. The Celtics shot 42.7 percent from the floor but could have finished the night with a higher percentage if they were able to convert the majority of their layups.

STAT OF THE NIGHT: 20 turnovers.

The Celtics defense set the tone in the first quarter when they forced seven Nuggets turnovers and carried that same intensity for four quarters. The Celtics finished the night with 15 steals and scored 24 fast-break points.

@ OF THE NIGHT: Wouldn’t it be great to see Olynyk compete in this year’s 3-point competition in his hometown of Toronto?
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Wins keep piling up as Celtics rotation gets tighter

CSNNE

RICH LEVINE

BOSTON -- The rotation gets a little tighter and the wins continue to pile up for the Boston Celtics who extended their season high-tying winning streak to four games following a 111-103 win over Denver.

Boston (26-21) has won seven of its last nine games, doing so primarily with a nine-man rotation with another player added here and there for good measure.

But on Wednesday, Celtics coach Brad Stevens went with a lineup of primarily eight players with two others -- Jonas Jerebko and Tyler Zeller -- seeing limited minutes off the bench.

Even though Stevens doesn’t use as many players as he has in the past, he’s quick to point out that no one should interpret that as him losing confidence in any of the guys who aren’t playing as much as they used to -- or, in the case of David Lee, not playing at all.

“I believe in all the guys that are playing and I believe in the guys that aren’t,” Stevens said. “And they’re all been really pulling together and pulling in one direction in the locker room.”

Stevens used Zeller in the first half to match up with Denver center Jusef Nurkic, and went with Jerebko matched against him in the second half.

“So you’re just kind of playing that game and seeing what works and figuring it out on the fly,” Stevens said. “You’ve got an idea going into each game how they’re going to play and how they’re going to substitute but that can change. And we’ve been flexible enough with those – that second unit – to do some different things, which has been good.”

And while the rotation seems in a good rhythm now, Stevens knows the guys that aren’t playing are likely to get another shot at getting on the floor at any moment.

“And so the guys that are playing are playing well,” Stevens said. “And when the next man up’s number is called, he’ll play well. It’s just kind of the way you go about it.”

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Bradley with a great offensive game. Most of them outside, as usual, but he was 3-3 from inside. 4 steals, he was a one man Nugget destroyer.

Would have been a bigger blow out if Smart hadn't turned back into Smart. 0-5. Sully's 2-8 didn't help neither. Sully did work like a horse underneath though.

Kelly with 17 points on respectable 6-14 and 3-3 from 3. He is now shooting 44.4% from 3 for the season. More than halfway through the season, and his 3pt fg% is going up. 7 boards in 17 minutes. 17 points, 7 rebounds in 17 minutes. That's efficient.

Amir with an understated work horse performance of 9 points and 13 boards, 7 offensive.

96fgas offset our atrocious shooting. 24 fast break points, 15 steals, generated 20 TOs. Just imagine how awesome we'd be if we could actually score efficiently too.

5th place. 1 game behind Atlanta, who lost last night.


bob


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