Stellar 3rd Quarter Brings Celtics to mini-series sweep against Nuggets

On Friday, the Celtics celebrated a 107:103 victory over the Nuggets at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi to open the preseason. The second round of this mini-series took place on Sunday with two duels between the last two champions of the NBA.

Boston delivered a knockout blow in the third frame, outscoring Denver 42-16 thanks to outstanding two-way play in the 12 minutes after halftime.

Now let's take a deeper look at what stood out from the Celtics' 130-104 win, where they showed they're ready for the regular season despite a shorter summer break.

1. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 19 points in the first frame and had 30 by halftime.

Tatum continued to showcase his new and improved form, which features no issues, more wrist movement and a quicker release. In this author's opinion, his shot looks smoother. Getting rid of it faster is also beneficial.

The five-time All-Star started Sunday's match shooting 4/8 from the field, including 2/4 from distance, and scored a team-best 10 points in the first 12 minutes.

He entered halftime with 14 points, including knocking off two fadeaway jumpers and hitting two free throws that he used to his advantage. Tatum also recorded three assists, two rebounds and one steal.

The three-time All-NBA First Team selection finished the day with 17 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes.

2. The other half of Boston's star wing duo also appears ready for the regular season.

The muscular Brown used the faceoff ball several times. This included a steal, where he patiently allowed the situation to develop before stepping on the gas and challenging Vlatko Čančar, scoring two points from distance, and a trip to the free throw line, where he converted his attempt into a three-pointer -old school play converted.

He repeatedly took advantage of having the smaller Jamal Murray with him, including suggesting that he was too small to guard him after shooting over Denver's star guard.

The 2024 NBA Finals MVP also helped set the tone for a 24-8 start to the third quarter by scoring five of the Celtics' first eight points, including a pindown and a three-pointer out of the break.

In addition to a three-point scoring performance, Brown had three assists. That included the culmination of a sequence in which he blocked Murray off the rim, Tatum made the unselfish decision to shoot instead of a three-pointer, and the former followed suit, delivering a one-handed pass to a rolling Luke Kornet for a layup.

Brown finished the game with a game-high 21 points in 23 minutes.

3. The Celtics ended Sunday's rematch in the third frame. They outscored the Nuggets 14-4 early in the second half, a lead that increased to 34-8.

Boston swarmed on defense and forced eight turnovers in the period. The reigning NBA champions gained a 13-0 lead in points awarded. This is also reflected in the fact that they paid good attention to the ball and were able to win the duel on the edge 8:2.

Pick a category and the Celtics were the better team in the third quarter. After Kornet and Jrue Holiday started the second half and Tatum, Brown and Derrick White were eliminated after the first three minutes of play, Boston's bench outscored Denver's 31-10 in the 12 minutes after halftime.

Limiting the Nuggets to 27.8 percent shooting, including 2/9 (22.2 percent) from beyond the arc, allowed the C's to live in transition. This always ensured high-quality looks.

By keeping the ball moving and staying active off it, the Celtics delivered 9/13 in a period in which they shot 61.9 percent, including 6/11 (54.5 percent) from three-point range Field goal assists.

Their outstanding two-way play and aggressive, uptempo attack resulted in a 10-2 advantage in fast-break scoring, a 12-6 point advantage in the game and resulted in 12 free throws converted into ten.

Boston scored 42 points in the quarter and held the Nuggets to 16, taking a 109-76 lead into the final frame and securing the early victory.

4. Payton Pritchard provided an offensive breakthrough for the second straight game and was the reason the Celtics' second unit outscored Denver 31-10 in the third period.

He came off the bench and hit four three-pointers in seven minutes on Friday. On Sunday, Pritchard was only able to take four minutes and no shots before halftime due to foul trouble. When he returned to the competition, he recorded 12 points in the first seven minutes.

The former Oregon Duck scored 14 points on 5/7 shooting, including 2/3 from behind the arc, in the third quarter. He also provided three of his five assists and reiterated that he is ready for the regular season.

Next: The reigning NBA champions now return home to continue preparing for opening night against the Knicks on October 22nd. Their next preseason game is a rivalry matchup against the 76ers. This competition will take place on October 12th at TD Garden.