After a strong return game [against the Chicago Bulls](https://hardwoodhoudini.com/celtics-newest-weapon-never-been-clearer-after-recent-development) on Monday, the Boston Celtics weren't able to get past the Denver Nuggets to extend their winning streak to five games on Wednesday.
Here's what stood out:
**The officials were not interested in watching Jaylen Brown drive to the basket**
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Though Brown had a decent bounce-back game, scoring 33 points, his performance could’ve gone much smoother if he’d gotten the same whistle he’s gotten all season. The Celtics star has averaged 7.3 free throws per game this season.
Against the Nuggets, he shot just three.
It wasn’t for the lack of trying, either. Brown invited contact, put his head down, and took the ball into the paint strong. No matter how much he was mauled by Nuggets players, it was a “play on,” according to the officials.
He didn’t make his first trip to the line until the 6:04 mark in the third quarter.
Even from that point on, the whistles weren’t kind to him or his teammates.
The Celtics didn’t do themselves any favors in this game. They didn’t handle contact well, and often hit the deck as they tried to drive through traffic. With that being said, the Nuggets got away with a surplus of physicality in this one.
**Luka Garza, what a player**
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We’ve beaten the dead horse with Luka Garza praise over the past few weeks at Hardwood Houdini, but we can assure you, it’s warranted. Ever since he re-entered the lineup in mid-December, Gazra has been a legitimate game-changer for Boston.
He checks in and brings the energy consistently. On Wednesday, he showed tremendous poise as the roll man in the pick-and-roll whenever his teammates found him diving to the basket.
Garza has a sneaky deep bag when it comes to finishing below the rim and sometimes changes speed to throw off defenders. He got Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon to mistime his jump on a second-quarter layup simply by hitting the brakes.
His effectiveness as a screener, combined with his efficiency around the rim, makes Garza a consistent impact player off the bench.
Not to mention that he’s always going to hustle.
He finished the night with 11 points and five rebounds on a perfect 5-5 from the field.
**Back-to-back ‘Anferno’ performances**
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There were undoubtedly some growing pains in Anfernee Simons’ first month and a half with the Celtics. His transition to the bench, after spending the past few seasons as the top option for the Portland Trail Blazers, took some getting used to.
Now, for the second straight game, he seems to have figured out how to get going at key stretches of the game.
Boston didn’t get the result they would’ve wanted, but Simons helped them keep up with Denver’s hot shooting late in the third quarter.
He’s looking more comfortable as the games go on, and more importantly, it seems like the Celtics staff has figured out how to use him.