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Possibly the best game of the week sees the best team in the West, the Nuggets play host to the best team in the East, the Boston Celtics. The game takes place at the Ball Arena on Sunday (January 1).
The Celtics are the best team in the entire NBA at the moment with a 26-10 record, sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. They come into this game on the back of a four-game win streak. Their latest win came against the LA Clippers 116-110, thanks to a 58-point combination by their star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The Nuggets are the best side in the West, going 23-12 and sitting at the top of the Western Conference standings. They have now won six of their last seven games and come into this on the back of a 124-119 win over the Chicago Bulls. In that win Nikola Jokic registered his eighth triple-double of the season, getting 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
Jokic has been phenomenal in December and has been instrumental in their brilliant run of form, taking them to the top of the standings. He averaged over 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists per game in December.
Tatum has also been a prime MVP contender this season, averaging 30-9-3 in December.
Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets Match Details
Fixture: Boston Celtics @ Denver Nuggets
Date & Time: Sunday, January 1, 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
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Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets Injury Report
Neither side has any injury absences.
Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Odds & Spreads
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Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets Starting 5s
Celtics: PG Marcus Smart SG Derrick White SF Jaylen Brown PF Jayson Tatum C Al Horford
Nuggets: PG Jamal Murray (GTD) SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SF Michael Porter PF Aaron Gordon (GTD) C Nikola Jokic
Celtics vs. Nuggets Betting Prediction
This game has the prospect of being a nail-biter. Both sides are evenly-matched and have the chance of establishing themselves as the best team in the league.
The Celtics have the best record in the entire league, stemming from their incredible defense and the league’s best offense.
The combination of Brown and Tatum has been phenomenal, averaging nearly 60 points a night between them.
The Nuggets have a bullish offense, led by Jokic but are not as strong defensively. The Celtics should edge this one out.
Celtics: -2 (-110)
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