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Denver Nuggets (24-12) at Boston Celtics (23-12 )
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
7:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #36 Home Game #17
TV: ESPN, NBCSB
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, Sirius XM
TD Garden
Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Derrick White vs Jamal Murray
Shooting Guard 
vs
Payton Pritchard vs Jalen Pickett
Small Forward 
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Peyton Watson
Power Forward 
vs
Sam Hauser vs Aaron Gordon
Center
vs
Neemias Queta vs DaRon Holmes II
Celtics ReservesAnfernee Simons
Chris Boucher
Xavier Tillman
Josh Minott
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Baylon Scheierman
Jordan Walsh
2-Way PlayersRon Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
Amari Williams
Injuries/OutJayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Nuggets ReservesZeke Nnaji
Julian Strawther
Hunter Tyson
2 Way Players Tamar Bates
Curtis Jones
Spencer Jones
Injuries/Out Cam Johnson (knee) out
Nikola Jokic (knee) out
Jonas Valanciunas (calf) out
Tamar Bates (foot) out
Jamal Murray (ankle) questionable
Aaron Gordon (calf) questionable
Tim Hardaway, Jr (illness) questionable
Jamal Murray (ankle) questionable
Head Coach David Adelman
Game Notes The Celtics host the Denver Nuggets for the 2nd game of a 5 game home stand. This is the first of 2 games between these two teams this season. They will meet again in Denver on February 25. The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season. The Celtics are 62-40 overall all time against the Denver Nuggets. They are 41-10 in games played in Boston.
The Nuggets addressed some weaknesses in the off season while keeping their core intact. They traded Michael Porter, Jr for Cam Johnson. They traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas to address their back up center need. They signed Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway, Jr as free agents and allowed Russell Westbrook to walk as a free agent. They didn't have any picks in the 2025 draft.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 3.5 games behind 1st place Detroit, and half a game ahead of 2nd place New York. They are 2 games ahead of 4th place Toronto, 3.5 games ahead of 5th place Philadelphia, 6th place Orlando and 7th place Miami. The Celtics are 7-4 against Western Conference opponents. They are 11-5 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 4 games.
The Nuggets are 4th in the West, 5.5 games behind first place OKC, 1.5 games behind 2nd place San Antonio, and half a game behind the 3rd place Los Angeles Lakers. They are half a game ahead of 5th place Houston , and 1 game ahead of 6th place Minnesota. They are 8-5 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 14-7 on the road and 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.
This is the second game of a 4 game home stand for the Celtics. They started the home stand with a win over Chicago and will host Toronto and San Antonio to complete the home stand. They will then go on a 4 game road trip through Indiana, Miami, Atlanta and Detroit. They will then play one game at home against Indiana before playing Brooklyn and Chicago on the road. They will then have another 4 game home stand against Portland, Atlanta,, Sacramento and Milwaukee.
The is the final game of a 7 game road trip for Denver. They are 2-4 so far on the trip, beating Toronto and Philadelphia. They will return home to play Atlanta and Milwaukee before playing New Orleans and Dallas on the road. Then they return home to play Washington, Charlotte and the Los Angeles Lakers before a 3 game road trip through Washington, Milwaukee and Memphis.
The Celtics have just Jayson Tatum (Achilles) on their injury report. The Nuggets have been hard hit with injuries. Tamar Bates (foot), Cam Johnson (knee), Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) are all listed as out. Christian Braun (ankle), Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Jamal Murray (ankle), and Tim Hardaway, Jr (illness) are all listed as questionable and a game time decision. I'm guessing that Murray and Gordon, at the least, will return for this game. I have no idea who they will start because they have so many players who are questionable and they have been starting a different lineup every game.
Key Matchups vs
Derrick White vs Jamal Murray
Murray is averaging 25.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is shooting 48.0% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc. The Celtics will need to defend Murray very well both on 3's and in the paint as he can put up points in a hurry. I am just assuming that Murray will be playing since he is listed as questionable.
vs
Sam Hauser vs Aaron Gordon
Gordon is averaging 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He is shooting 53.3% from the field and 43.2% from beyond the arc. Since he is a very good 3 point shooter and very strong in the paint, the Celtics would need to defend him well both inside and out. As with Murray, I'm just assuming that Gordon will play. He was given a maintenance day off on Monday and, unless he had a setback, should be ready to play in this one.
Honorable MentionJaylen Brown vs Peyton Watson
Watson is averaging 12.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game. He is shooting 50.5% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc. Against the 76ers on Monday, he finished with 24 points 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks while shooting 53.8% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. I'm not sure who will be starting where for the Nuggets so this is just a guess.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is the key to winning every game. The Celtics are 15th with a defensive rating of 114.3. The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 117.0, which is 21st. The Celtics have an offensive rating of 123.1 (1st) while the Nuggets have an offensive rating of 122.3 (2nd). The Nuggets are 1st shooting 40% from beyond the arc as a team and so the Celtics must defend them on the perimeter.
Rebound - Rebounding is another key to winning every game. The Celtics are 18th in the league, averaging 43.8 rebounds per game. The Nuggets are 20th in the league with 43.4 rebounds per game. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics have to work harder to grab rebounds to limit the Nuggets second chance points and fast breaks.
Effort and Energy for 48 Minutes - The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to fight for loose balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and just play harder than the Nuggets for the entire game. They have to be the team that wants it more and play like it. They especially have to begin the game with energy and not allow the Nuggets to race out to a big lead and they can't let up throughout the game if they can build a lead. They especially have to come out strong in the 3rd quarter and play hard until the final buzzer.
Don't Underestimate - Once again, the Celtics are playing a team that is missing their best player. They will have at least 4 players out and possibly as many as 8 players out. No matter how many players are out, the Celtics have got to play like they are facing the best team in the league. They tend to let down against teams missing players. This team, missing 8 players, beat the 76ers on Monday and so the Celtics can not take them for granted.
X-Factors Home Game - The Celtics are once again home and they should get a boost from the home crowd. This is their second straight home game so they have the benefit of not having to travel. The Nuggets are playing in the final game of a 7 game road trip and may be getting road weary and the final game of a road trip is always a tough one. They also have the distractions of travel, staying in hotels, and playing in front of a hostile crowd. And, they are playing without the help of their mile high atmosphere.
Who is Playing - The Nuggets are playing without their starting center and their back up center. Jokic makes a huge difference for them when he plays but the Celtics can't let up because he isn't playing. The Nuggets will definitely be missing 4 players and possibly as many as 8. I'm guessing that Gordon and Murray will be back in the lineup and if they are, the Nuggets will be tougher to beat.
Officiating - I know that I say this every game, but the officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently whether they call every little ticky tack foul or they let a lot of contact go and let the teams play. We have already seen games where the officiating made a difference in the outcome, both good and bad. The Celtics have got to adjust to the way the game is being called and not let the calls affect their focus or their play.
Topic: Nuggets (24-12) at Celtics (23-12) Game #36 1/7/26 (Read 120 times)