NUGGETS
The Celtics are suddenly becoming a potential problem for the Nuggets
May 26, 2023, 9:46 AM | Updated: 4:59 pm
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Could this be the year it finally happens?
By now, you probably know the stat.
NBA teams that are down 3-0 in a series are 0-150 in the history of the league. That includes the Los Angeles Lakers this year, after the Denver Nuggets swept them out of the Western Conference Finals.
But the Boston Celtics? They could write a different story.
The Eastern Conference Finals got very interesting on Thursday night as Boston crushed Miami 110-97. The game was nowhere near as class as the final score indicates.
The Celtics had their way with the Heat, hitting 16 three-pointers and holding a commanding 15-point lead after the first quarter. That stretched to 17 at halftime and 18 after three quarters, with everyone knowing the series was headed back to Miami for a pivotal Game 6.
Yes, the Heat still lead 3-2, but that 3-0 cushion is long gone and the oddsmakers say it’s close to a coin flip who will advance to the NBA Finals. Of course, that’s where the Nuggets await.
Denver will have 10 days off between games, as the series is scheduled to start on June 1 no matter what. The key now is, will this thing get rolling in Denver? Or do they have to get on a plane to Boston?
If the Heat win the series, Games 1,2,5 and 7 will be at Ball Arena. If not, it’s just Games 3,4 and 6 against the Celtics. That’s a massive difference.
The Nuggets have been outstanding at home in these playoffs, going a perfect 8-0. They say sometimes it’s dangerous to root for an opponent, but this isn’t dangerous at all. Root for Miami and root for them in a big way.
Not only would that ensure Denver homecourt in the biggest series in franchise history, it would mean avoiding the red hot Celtics. If Boston somehow pulls off winning four in a row, and does something no other NBA team has ever done, that’s a scary proposition.
They’d have all the momentum in the world, and after a Game 7 win on Monday night, the Celtics would host Denver in Game 1 on Thursday night.
The Nuggets are still good enough to pull it off, but that would make their path to a first NBA championship that much tougher.
***
