Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis succinctly captured the brilliance of Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s performance in Friday night’s game. As Boston faced the Denver Nuggets in a highly anticipated matchup, resulting in the Celtics’ first home loss of the 2023-24 NBA season, Jokic and guard Jamal Murray played pivotal roles in securing the victory.
After the narrow 102-100 loss, Porzingis showered Jokic with admiration, labeling him a “pure basketball mastermind” in a phrase rarely employed but fitting for Jokic’s extraordinary skills. According to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, this praise resonates universally among players, coaches, and fans across the NBA. Jokic’s remarkable display in the game included scoring 34 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists while shooting an efficient 14-of-22 from the field.
Murray also earned recognition for his stellar performance, contributing 35 points on an impressive 15-of-21 shooting, complemented by eight rebounds and five assists.
The intensity of the matchup resembled a postseason game, and given the strong performances of both teams this season, particularly the Nuggets in recent times, the possibility of a potential NBA Finals meeting between these two squads would not be a surprising development.
