4 takeaways as Celtics lose to Nuggets after dismal second half

February 26, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

The Celtics came up short in their quest for a perfect road trip on Wednesday night, falling 103-84 to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. The loss snapped Boston’s four-game winning streak and leaves Boston with a 3-1 record on their road trip as they head home.

Boston hung around in the game for the first three quarters with their defense, limiting the Nuggets to just 66 points through the first 34 minutes of the game. However, the Nuggets took advantage of a fatigued Celtics squad playing their third game in four nights late in the fourth quarter. The hosts broke the game open with a 21-3 run that stretched over seven minutes, turning a one-point lead for Boston into a runaway win for the Nuggets.

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Boston shot just 34.9 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range in the loss as they scored their fewest points in a game this season. Jaylen Brown had a team-high 23 points and 11 rebounds in the loss but struggled with his shot (7-of-21). Derrick White also added 20 points but no other Celtic scored more than 10 points.

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Nikola Jokic finished with a game-high 30 points and 12 rebounds for the hosts, who also lost Jamal Murray in the first half due to illness.

The Celtics now return home to Boston to host the Nets on Friday night.

Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ loss on Wednesday night:

Celtics turn Nikola Jokic into a scorer first: The strategy worked well for the first three quarters as the big man was inefficient from the field with his offense and wasn’t able to set up his teammates regularly. Ultimately, Denver’s offense was able to break out as their second unit caught fire but it was an encouraging effort from Boston’s defense early as they challenged Jokic to beat him with his outside shooting and he couldn’t punish much from 3-point range (4-of-13).

Celtics get no help from the bench: Boston’s second unit has been a bright spot all season long but they did not rise to the challenge in a tough road environment. The reserves scored just five total points in the first three quarters, shooting a a combined 2-of-18 from the field. The lack of scoring help ended up coming back to haunt Boston in the second half as the Nuggets turned the game in their favor with a 15-0 run as Boston’s bench failed to find their rhythm. The Nuggets finished the game with a 42-17 advantage in bench points.

Boston can’t find any rhythm from 3-point range: Boston’s shot diet was heavy from beyond the arc early and often on Wednesday night but the reliance on the 3-ball was costly. Outside of hot shooting nights from Derrick white and Baylor Scheierman, the visitors were ice cold from beyond the arc, knocking down just 12-of-43 attempts from 3-point range for 27 percent.

A schedule loss comes to fruition: With Boston’s third game in four nights coming at altitude against a rested opponent, it’s little surprise that Boston ran out of gas in the second half in this game. The team brought their trademark defensive intensity early to keep it interesting but couldn’t keep up with the Nuggets in the second half once they started making a few shots. The performance should not put a damper on what was a stellar 3-1 road trip that strengthened Boston’s grip on the No. 2 seed in the East.

4 takeaways as Celtics lose to Nuggets after dismal second half

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