The Inside guys react to Celtics-Nuggets thriller + Anthony Edwards Q4 takeover 🍿 | NBA on TNT

NBA on TNT
7 Mar 202413:03

Summary

TLDRThe Denver Nuggets triumphed over the Boston Celtics in a thrilling NBA game, with the Nuggets securing a 115-109 victory. The game was intense, showcasing the competitive spirit of both teams. Despite a strong performance from the Celtics' Jaylen Brown, who scored a season-high 42 points, the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic delivered another triple-double, contributing significantly to the win. The commentary also touched on the Western Conference standings, highlighting the strong performance of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the potential challenges they may face without Karl-Anthony Towns due to injury.

Takeaways

  • 🏀 The Denver Nuggets defeated the Boston Celtics with a score of 115-109.
  • 🏆 The reigning NBA champions, Denver Nuggets, continue their strong performance as the season nears its end.
  • 🌟 Jamal Murray and Jaylen Brown had standout performances, with Brown scoring a season-high 42 points.
  • 🏆 Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double for the Nuggets.
  • 🏆 The Minnesota Timberwolves secured a win against the Indiana Pacers, maintaining their lead in the Western Conference.
  • 🀕 Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves had an ankle injury but returned to the game, contributing significantly to the win.
  • 🏆 The Timberwolves' victory was despite the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns, who will be re-evaluated in a month after meniscus surgery.
  • 🏆 The Nuggets' win over the Celtics puts them one game behind the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference standings.
  • 🏆 The top four teams in the Western Conference seem stable, with the order yet to be determined.
  • 🏀 The Celtics' loss marks their first consecutive losses since November, highlighting their need for resilience in close games.
  • 🏀 The Western Conference playoff picture is intriguing, with potential matchups between the Mavericks and Kings, and Lakers and Warriors in the play-in tournament.

Q & A

  • Which two NBA teams played in the game mentioned at the beginning of the transcript?

    -The Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics played in the game.

  • What was the final score of the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics?

    -The final score was 115 to 109 in favor of the Denver Nuggets.

  • What was noted about Jason Tatum's performance in the game?

    -Jason Tatum did not have a significant impact in the game, which was highlighted as surprising given his claim to be the best player in the league.

  • How did Jaylen Brown perform in the game?

    -Jaylen Brown had a standout performance, scoring a season-high 42 points.

  • What was the nickname given to a certain play involving Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic?

    -The play was referred to as a 'rim check'.

  • What was the record of the Denver Nuggets after the all-star break, as mentioned in the transcript?

    -The Denver Nuggets had a 7-1 record since the all-star break.

  • Which team is leading the Western Conference, according to the transcript?

    -The Minnesota Timberwolves were leading the Western Conference at the time of the discussion.

  • What was the final score of the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Indiana Pacers?

    -The final score was 113 to 111 in favor of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

  • What injury concern was mentioned about Karl-Anthony Towns?

    -Karl-Anthony Towns was reported to have an injury that required surgery on his meniscus, and he was to be re-evaluated in a month.

  • What was the Celtics' head coach's name mentioned in the transcript?

    -The Celtics' head coach mentioned in the transcript is Joe Mula.

  • What was the coach's assessment of the Celtics' performance in the close moments of the game?

    -Coach Joe Mula highlighted the importance of the critical 10 to 12 possessions in the game and acknowledged that Denver did a better job capitalizing on those moments than the Celtics did.

Outlines

00:00

🏀 NBA Highlights: Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Boston Celtics in an intense game with a score of 115-109. The reigning champions showed their strength as the NBA season nears its end. Despite a quiet night from Jason Tatum, the Celtics' Jaylen Brown stepped up with a season-high 42 points. Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets secured another triple-double, contributing significantly to the team's victory. The game was filled with exciting plays and competitive spirit, showcasing the potential for a playoff atmosphere.

05:01

🏆 Western Conference Update and Analysis

The Western Conference standings were discussed, with the Minnesota Timberwolves maintaining their top position despite the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pacers' inability to handle Anthony Edwards' performance was criticized, as he scored his third 40-point game of the season. The panel also touched on the potential playoff matchups, with the Mavericks and Lakers potentially facing tough opponents in the play-in tournament. The Denver Nuggets were highlighted as the best team in the West, with Jokic's exceptional play being a key factor.

10:03

🀔 Celtics' Resilience and Playoff Outlook

Celtics' head coach Joe Mula's post-game comments were highlighted, emphasizing the team's resilience and the importance of execution in close games. The Celtics' performance, particularly their three-point shooting and offensive execution, was analyzed. The discussion also touched on the Celtics' position in the Eastern Conference and their potential challenges in the playoffs, especially when their three-point shooting is off, as evidenced by their 11-38 performance in this game.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are a part of the NBA's Western Conference. In the context of the video, they are highlighted for their victory over the Boston Celtics, showcasing their competitive spirit and performance in the NBA season.

💡Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team in the NBA, based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are one of the oldest and most storied franchises in the league. In the video, they are mentioned as the opponents of the Denver Nuggets in a closely contested game.

💡NBA Season

The NBA Season refers to the annual professional basketball competition played by the National Basketball Association (NBA). It consists of a regular season followed by playoffs, leading to the NBA Finals. The video script indicates that the games discussed are taking place towards the end of the regular season, with about 20 games left to play.

💡Jason Tatum

Jason Tatum is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. He is known for his scoring ability and is considered one of the top players in the NBA. The video script comments on his performance in the game against the Nuggets, suggesting that he did not have a standout game.

💡Playoff Intensity

Playoff intensity refers to the heightened level of competition, focus, and physicality that is typically seen in the NBA playoffs, which are the elimination rounds of the NBA postseason. The video script suggests that the game between the Nuggets and Celtics had a similar level of intensity, indicating its importance and the teams' desire to win.

💡Jamal Murray

Jamal Murray is a professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets. He is known for his scoring and playmaking abilities. In the video, his performance is mentioned as a key factor in the Nuggets' victory.

💡Jokic

Nikola Jokic, often referred to simply as 'Jokic,' is a Serbian professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets. He is recognized for his versatility and is considered one of the best big men in the NBA. The video script praises his performance, including another triple-double achievement.

💡Rim Check

A 'rim check' in basketball is a colloquial term for a powerful dunk that emphasizes the player's dominance and authority. It often involves slamming the ball through the hoop with force, sometimes causing the rim to shake. The video script uses this term to describe a particularly impressive dunk.

💡Clutch Shots

Clutch shots are game-changing shots made in critical moments, often with little time remaining in a close game. They are typically high-pressure situations and can significantly influence the outcome of a game. The video script mentions clutch shots in the context of the game's final moments.

💡Play-in Scenario

The play-in scenario in the NBA refers to a set of games played at the end of the regular season to determine the final few spots in the playoffs. Teams that are close in the standings compete in these games to secure their position in the postseason. The video script mentions the play-in scenario, indicating the importance of the remaining games for certain teams.

💡Conference Standings

Conference standings in the NBA refer to the ranking of teams within their respective conferences (Eastern and Western) based on their win-loss records. These standings determine playoff seeding and are a key focus for teams as the season progresses. The video script provides updates on the conference standings, emphasizing the competitive landscape.

Highlights

Denver Nuggets defeated the Boston Celtics with a score of 115-109.

The game had a playoff intensity with both teams showing competitive spirit.

Jason Tatum had an off night, which was noted as not being typical for a player claiming to be the best in the league.

Jamal Murray and Jaylen Brown had standout performances, with Brown scoring a season-high 42 points.

Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double for the Nuggets.

The Minnesota Timberwolves won against the Indiana Pacers, with Karl-Anthony Towns scoring 44 points.

Towns' performance was highlighted as he scored his third 40-point game of the season.

The Pacers' strategy was criticized for not taking the ball out of Towns' hands.

The Western Conference standings were discussed, with the Nuggets and Timberwolves being highlighted as top teams.

The potential playoff matchups were mentioned, with the Mavericks and Lakers potentially facing the Kings and Warriors, respectively.

The Celtics' resilience was praised despite the loss to the Nuggets.

Celtics' coach Joe Mula's post-game comments emphasized the importance of taking care of the basketball and improving offensive execution.

The Celtics' three-point shooting was noted as a key factor in their games, with a good shooting night leading to blowouts.

The discussion highlighted the Celtics' need to find ways to win games when their three-point shooting is off.

The unique athletic abilities of the Nuggets' Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. were mentioned as a challenge for other teams.

The Celtics' position in the Eastern Conference was discussed, with their lead over the Milwaukee Bucks mentioned.

The importance of headroom in Joe Mula's press conference was humorously noted.

Transcripts

00:00

[Music]

00:00

man some good stuff around the league

00:02

tonight seven games as we head down the

00:04

stretch about 20 games to go in the NBA

00:08

season and you saw the uh reigning

00:10

Champions the Denver Nuggets knock off

00:12

the Boston Celtics 115 109 welcome to

00:16

Inside the NBA it's presented by KIA

00:18

Ernie Johnson with sha with Kenny with

00:20

Cletus and let's jump right to the

00:22

highlights of this one it's going to sck

00:24

from Denver it has a good ring to it

00:26

still got the

00:28

cbus yeah oh there's the brothers what a

00:32

game y'all this was this was this was

00:34

good chucker a playoff game tonight yeah

00:37

there was some intensity on both sides

00:39

we get ready to go yeah I think the one

00:42

thing one thing we didn't see was a huge

00:45

grain from Jason Tatum I would love to

00:47

see a game like this well you can't call

00:48

yourself the best player in the league

00:50

if they don't show up oh well you can

00:51

have a night off well he didn't have you

00:53

can that off night but you if you going

00:55

to say you're going to be the you say

00:56

I'm the best player in the world you got

00:57

to prove it saw Jamal

01:01

connect and then Jaylen Brown had

01:04

himself a night season High 42 oh give

01:08

me that that's a good thing every about

01:09

playing on the team that's socalled one

01:11

two punch one doesn't play well Jaylen

01:13

Brown stepped up what do you call this

01:15

Kenny spine Tingler spine Tingler it's

01:17

called a rim check Ernie well you guys

01:20

both have uh Nam your own terms this is

01:22

not anything but a I don't know what

01:24

this boy was doing what's the name what

01:25

he doing oh tingling tumbling jumbling

01:29

stumbling

01:31

whatever you call it he was oh my

01:33

goodness Joker over porzingis to beat

01:36

the half time buzzer tell you what

01:38

porzingis competed tonight man I loved

01:40

his game 6254 nuggets at the half

01:45

porzingis had 24 and 12 yeah he balled

01:49

out

01:50

tonight n for 23 is not balling Tatum 14

01:53

on five of

01:56

13

01:58

Joker another triple double for the

02:01

Joker tonight cavius Caldwell Pope out

02:05

of the corner for three and a 10-point

02:08

lead now it's 9485 and look at Jamal

02:13

Murray 19 and8 on the night Jaylen Brown

02:17

Celtics not going

02:20

away eight-point game and then well

02:24

thaton Watson that was a really good

02:26

dunk right there oh my goodness give me

02:29

that Murr PES Watson with the block and

02:32

then Aaron

02:34

Gordon that was pretty good Ernie from

02:37

Murray went off the but it gets better

02:39

y'all yes it does get off me little man

02:43

Jaylen Brown

02:46

again now five-point game Joker oh look

02:51

at that follow by Gordon oh that was

02:54

impressive oh that's a dumb contest win

02:57

oh there's another guy who knows how to

02:58

do that

03:01

step back

03:02

through oh Hol hit a couple of clutch

03:05

shots down the stretch to keep Aus in it

03:07

they were down two this is the play

03:09

right here guys this is this is

03:12

ridiculous and you you heard him tell

03:15

Chris haes after the game I do that all

03:17

the time I just throw it up even when I

03:18

don't see him and Aaron Gordon was there

03:22

with a finish 115 to 109 nuggets now 7-

03:26

one since the allstar break the Celtics

03:29

have lost consecutive gameson Brown for

03:32

the first time yeah first time since

03:34

November 6th and 8th when they lost at

03:36

Minnesota and at Philadelphia Celtics

03:39

have lost a couple in a row 115 to 109

03:42

is your final meantime the Minnesota

03:44

Timberwolves on top of the West this was

03:46

a game here too Hy yeah without Carl

03:48

Anthony towns against Tyrese halberton

03:51

and the Pacers this could be the NBA

03:53

final in three years yeah I tell you

03:55

well tell you what they might not have a

03:56

call out top but they got that grown ass

03:58

man right there you see Edwards roll the

04:00

ankle early he would

04:02

leave and then he would uh he would

04:06

return to the Game Boy would he that's

04:10

underst as he comes back yeah feeling

04:14

okay out to a 20 to8 lead on the road

04:18

and now Edwards again he going to need

04:22

he going to need some going

04:24

airb and again he leaves the floor but

04:27

he would return

04:30

about them Bulldogs Ernie y can't keep

04:32

them down can you cannot keep them

04:34

Bulldogs down 60 to 49 Timberwolves at

04:37

the it was tied at 83 after three tyres

04:42

halberton I don't understand I didn't

04:44

understand what Indiana was oh come on

04:46

come on I did not understand what

04:49

Indiana was doing in this game you got

04:51

to take the ball out of Anthony's hand

04:53

you got to do something you got to make

04:55

somebody you can't let this guy scored I

04:57

mean this is ridiculous come on man get

04:59

the ball out of his hand man the house

05:01

on fire get the women and kids out 446

05:04

and three his third 40-point game of the

05:08

season but it's not over Miles Turner

05:11

for three and then Edwards misses a free

05:13

throw two-point games but watch this I

05:16

missed a free throw but I don't get I

05:18

still get back on defense Aaron neith

05:21

who was rejected by Edwards and look how

05:23

high he got that's crazy look at thought

05:27

he almost killed himself right there he

05:29

would have leave the floor but only

05:30

because the game was over and Minnesota

05:34

wins it on the road at Indiana

05:37

one3 to 111 big

05:41

Minnesota yeah just that was we had some

05:44

good games tonight but I was

05:46

disappointed in the paac you got to take

05:47

the ball out that boy's hands I he's I

05:49

mean come on you can't let a one man do

05:51

that to you you got to take it out of

05:52

his hands a lot of tight games this year

05:54

for the Pacers four and three now and

05:56

games decided to buy two points or less

05:58

as Minnesota gets them again without

06:00

Carl Anthony towns and you heard uh the

06:03

report from uh Chris Haynes yeah to be

06:06

re-evaluated in a month we'll have

06:08

surgery on the on the meniscus so it's

06:11

going to be interesting because that man

06:14

can't play like that every

06:15

night uh like he was amazing and you

06:19

know those little those little injuries

06:21

he's got you know if he go out there and

06:23

have to play 45 minutes a night somebody

06:26

else going to have to step up but man uh

06:28

Indiana got to take the ball his hand

06:29

you cannot let one man just dominate you

06:31

like that can we look at the Western

06:33

Conference standings that just check out

06:35

the landscape here as every one of these

06:37

nights you you know things change people

06:40

move up people move down Minnesota wins

06:42

tonight to stay number one in the west

06:46

uh the nuggets with their win over the

06:48

Celtics are right there a game behind

06:52

suns were winners we're going to show

06:53

you those highlights in a bit Sacramento

06:56

had their hands full tonight but one I

06:58

think it's fair to say

07:00

uh Ken sha those top four teams because

07:03

the Pelicans are four games behind in

07:05

the Lost column would is would I be safe

07:07

to say one of those top four teams going

07:09

to be those are not going to change they

07:11

might change orders I I would agree I

07:14

would say the top 10 are the same and

07:15

the top four are the same so the top 10

07:17

teams in the west are going to be the

07:19

top 10 teams top four of the top four we

07:21

just don't know what order and your best

07:23

and your best team in the western

07:25

conference is the team we just saw with

07:27

the best big man in the league Denver

07:31

Joker nothing talk about yeah you ask a

07:34

question I give I give quick definitive

07:36

answers the best team sometimes you do

07:38

that that is true The Joker

07:41

quiers do you

07:43

concur the best team man West is the de

07:46

nuggets yeah I I actually agree with

07:48

that I I agree with the I'm gonna be

07:50

short definitive yeah sweet nuggets

07:53

nuggets let me see the West one more

07:54

time because because if if things do

07:57

stay this way I want to look at the

07:59

bottom have um so in your playin

08:02

scenario right now Mavericks would go to

08:06

Sacramento Lakers would go to Golden

08:08

State that's a hell of a play in tour I

08:11

would take I would take the Mavs over

08:14

the king the king the kings can't stop a

08:16

running no they are the one of the worst

08:18

defensive teams in the league and you

08:20

got Kyrie and Luca so you'd have the

08:22

Kings losing at home to the Dallas mat

08:24

they can't stop anybody Ernie go the

08:26

Kings we at what would seven play 10

08:29

no it's seven and eight because the

08:31

winner of that gets the number seven

08:33

spot eight plays eight would play the uh

08:36

winner of nine what what's going to be

08:38

interesting is the Minnesota situation

08:40

can they hold on without bigat like I

08:43

don't know if they can stay number one

08:45

without him because I don't know if they

08:47

have enough offense I mean Anthony

08:49

obviously is amazing spectacular but I

08:51

don't see I mean he had to get 4 to4

08:53

against the Pacers team I just don't see

08:56

I don't know if they can stay in the I

08:58

mean they'll stay in the top four I

08:59

truly believe that but I think that's

09:02

going to be tough for for at least a

09:03

month without

09:05

without I think they're going to lose

09:06

tomorrow night at Cleveland um Denver

09:09

wins over Boston by the way 115 109

09:12

let's hear from the Celtics head coach

09:14

Joe

09:15

moula did you think of uh the way you

09:18

guys are able to fight back there down

09:19

the stretch and get back in the game

09:21

after things look like they're starting

09:22

to go sideways early four yeah I mean

09:24

it's especially against a team like that

09:26

to be able to uh battle back and make

09:28

plays uh uh you know I think it's

09:31

important and uh team showed a bit of

09:32

resilience and uh you know I think when

09:34

you play against another great team uh

09:37

those 10 to 12 possessions are super

09:40

super critical and uh I thought Denver

09:42

did a great job of taking advantage of

09:43

those uh better than we did tonight y

09:46

just able to get in De to the post over

09:49

and over again you guys have to decide

09:51

where and how to send help how difficult

09:53

is that decision espe Gordon is able to

09:55

get everything he wants yeah I mean it's

09:57

a difficult decision only because of all

09:58

the other stuff Stu and so when you're

10:00

making that decision that you look at uh

10:02

you look at the turnovers you look last

10:04

time we played them we only had two

10:05

turnovers we had 12 tonight you look at

10:06

the points off turnovers you look at the

10:08

Miss free throws uh you look at you know

10:10

that that right there so uh it becomes

10:13

difficult because you put pressure on

10:14

some of the other things and then when

10:16

you're in that critical moment you just

10:17

have to make the best decision possible

10:19

so um but that's that's the lesson

10:21

tonight is uh you know just those those

10:23

things uh taking care of the basketball

10:25

our offensive execution which leads to

10:27

their transition defense and and uh you

10:29

know got to the freee throw line just

10:31

didn't make

10:32

them Celtics still 7 and a half up on

10:36

Milwaukee in the in the Eastern confence

10:38

you know what's interesting about

10:39

watching the Celtic team play this was

10:42

actually I I was curious when they make

10:44

threes they're

10:46

unbeatable this is going to be their

10:48

tail in the playoffs execution turnovers

10:52

shot selection when they get in close

10:55

game cuz when they make threes they just

10:56

blow everybody out they're like hit or

10:59

Miss but they've got to find a way to

11:02

win these games when they don't shoot a

11:04

good three-point percentage and they

11:06

have not done that 11 11 for 38 tonight

11:10

only reason I disagree because there's

11:11

no one like Denver in the Eastern

11:13

Conference there's no and I'm not

11:16

talking about joic I'm talking about

11:17

Aaron Gordon and Porter 610 playing the

11:22

wings so when you try to play small

11:24

they're actually more athletic than your

11:26

Smalls and so there more athletic that

11:29

faster they're more athletic they block

11:31

shots rebound and can shoot the three

11:33

there's no other team in the NBA that

11:35

has guys who are 6' 10 that could do

11:38

that that played a three and a four so

11:40

yeah I understand that point I'm not

11:42

even talking about that I'm talking

11:43

about I'm talking about getting out the

11:44

East who who else can do that what

11:47

they're doing well yeah but they I'm

11:48

talking about Styles where they are hit

11:51

a Miss on the

11:52

threes if you see when they make threes

11:55

they're unbeatable but there shot

11:57

selection turnovers and execution are a

12:00

weakness they win games by a lot of

12:03

talent and three-point shooting if you

12:06

if you're having a bad night shooting

12:07

threes that's when they they'll still

12:09

get out the East yeah y uh 115 109 your

12:12

final score would anybody else think

12:14

that there was not enough headro on the

12:17

uh on the Joe Missoula press conference

12:20

what's wrong with that no I just thought

12:21

he he just like a small chair enough

12:24

head room I thought he was a small guy I

12:25

didn't

12:27

realize

12:30

is that the way they were doing

12:31

[Laughter]

12:34

it sh a been n small since he was a baby

12:38

no he been since he played against those

12:40

guys in high school yeah we'll get we'll

12:42

get into that a bit later here in the

12:44

show as a matter of effect more

12:45

highlights on the way here on inside

12:48

[Music]

12:57

y'all

13:01

[Music]