The Celtics lost to the Nuggets 114-110 on Wednesday at TD Garden. Their offense fell asleep in the fourth quarter for stretches. On the other side, the shorthanded Nuggets came to play. The C’s are now 23-13 on the season.
Luka Garza was a bright spot off the bench, making him Wednesday’s “Name to Know” Player of the Game. The Name to Know Player of the Game is sponsored by John’s Sewer and Drain Cleaning, the Name to Know when your drains don’t flow.
Garza finished with 11 points and five rebounds in his 19 minutes. It wasn’t the biggest scoring game from the big man, but his consistency continues to be reliable. He finished 5-for-5 from the floor, including making his lone 3-point attempt of the night. Garza was also a plus-11 when he was on the court.
Garza started the season in the rotation, showing flashes of productive minutes. But there were also some struggles as he fell out of the playing group for about a month. Garza, though, keeps impressing ever since he rejoined the rotation, and Wednesday was another one of those nights where he put his imprint on the game.
It was a tough night for the Celtics as their offense disappeared for stretches in the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown had 33 points and seven rebounds, but he also had seven turnovers. Neemias Queta had six points and a career-high 20 rebounds.
It was a forgettable night for the Celtics as they saw their four-game win streak come to an end. The Nuggets played inspired basketball even though they didn’t have Nikola Jokic. Denver also shot 20-for-44 (45.5%) on 3-pointers. The Celtics will look to regroup as they face the Raptors at 7 p.m. Friday at the Garden.