Celtics-Nuggets Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Mar 17 2012 2:36AM

The Denver Nuggets believe a modest move at the trade deadline will be enough for them to remain in playoff position in the Western Conference.

Quiet at the deadline, the Boston Celtics hope their aging stars can help them do the same in the East.

Talented young center JaVale McGee could make his debut for the Nuggets when they try for a third straight home win over the Celtics on Saturday night.

With 11 players under 27 years of age, Denver (24-20) is among the youngest teams in the NBA. The Nuggets added to their youth by acquiring the 24-year-old McGee along with Ronny Turiaf from Washington for oft-injured Nene on Thursday.

"We did (this trade) with the intention of the big picture. Make the team better," vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said. "We felt that the direction of the organization at this time was we wanted to go a little bit younger."

Though not a marquee name, the 7-foot McGee averaged career highs with 11.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 41 games for the Wizards this season. The fourth-year pro joins a lineup featuring budding young talent in guard Ty Lawson, rookie forward Kenneth Faried and Italian standout Danilo Gallinari.

"I think athletically, it will be the most athletic team that we've probably had," coach George Karl told the Nuggets' official website.

Tied with Houston for seventh in the West, the Nuggets have alternated wins and losses during the first six of a season-high nine-game home stretch. Andre Miller had 17 points Thursday for Denver, which went 5 of 22 from 3-point range and was outscored 28-14 in the third quarter of a 103-90 loss to West-leading Oklahoma City.

The Nuggets have averaged 104.5 points and allowed the same amount per game during their homestand. Denver has won six of seven at home versus Boston.

Miller has averaged 18.4 points in his last 13 games against the Celtics.

Denver could be without forward Al Harrington (14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds per game), who is day to day with a left knee contusion.

Boston (23-20) looks to regroup after it fell to 2-2 on an eight-game road trip with a 120-95 drubbing at Sacramento on Friday. Ray Allen scored 26 points and Paul Pierce added 19, but the Celtics gave up 41 in the third quarter en route to allowing their highest total of the season.

It was a big step back for the Celtics, who had won eight of their previous 10. Again showing some fatigue that has plagued the aging club throughout this condensed season, Boston committed 17 turnovers and was outrebounded 45-28.

"Whatever you are supposed to have, we didn't have it tonight," coach Doc Rivers said. "They played terrific and made every shot. Our defense helped. We didn't play with the great spirit that we had in this streak. I don't want this to be a habit."

Despite his team's age and inconsistent play, general manager Danny Ainge did not make a move at the trade deadline but could still add help before the postseason.

"I have a lot of faith in our guys," Ainge said of the Celtics, seventh in the East. "They know the time and the score. They know when the lights are on. They rise to the occasion. I'm hoping we can get to the playoffs healthy, add a little bit of beef between now and the playoffs, and we'll take our chances there."

Allen has averaged 24.4 points in 32 career games against the Nuggets, but he was held to 10 during an 89-75 loss in Boston's last trip to Denver on Feb. 24, 2011.

Nuggets beat Celtics 98-91

Posted Mar 18 2012 12:56AM

DENVER (AP) Kenneth Faried has impressed the Denver Nuggets throughout his rookie season.

"We don't close this game out without Kenneth," Denver coach George Karl said. "I was impressed with him the whole game, but I really loved him the last three or four minutes of the game."

Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and Faried added 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds leading the Nuggets past the Boston Celtics 98-91 Saturday night.

"He outworked us, getting 11 rebounds in the first half," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "He had a rebound late in the game that was just an effort rebound where we had inside position and he outran us to the ball."

It was the sixth double-double in the past 13 games for Faried. Arron Afflalo added 15 points for Denver, which has beaten the Celtics seven of the past eight times in Denver.

"I did all right by playing with my heart," Faried said and when reminded of his 5-for-5 shooting from the field and 8 of 8 on free throws added, "I'm not content. I want to do better."

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett had 22 points each for Boston. Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 16 assists.

The Celtics are 2-3 on their eight-game road trip. They were coming off a 120-95 loss at Sacramento.

"They outworked us and it wasn't about game planning or X's and O's," Pierce said. "They got the loose ball, they got the offensive rebounds and when they tried to make a valiant effort late in the game, it was like climbing uphill."

Denver nearly lost its lead in the fourth quarter. The Celtics trimmed the deficit to 10, three times in the fourth quarter, the third time when Pierce started a 10-0 run with two free throws that pulled them within 87-77 with 7:18 left.

Pierce's jumper finished the run to make it 87-85, 16 seconds before fouling out. Faried turned the foul into two free throws.

Ty Lawson's 3-pointer and a layup by Faried seemed to put the game away and made the game 94-87.

Boston made one last rally. Garnett made four straight free throws to cut it to 94-91, but after forcing two missed shots, Ray Allen missed a jumper with 54 seconds left.

Faried sealed the game with two free throws.

The Nuggets maintained their double-digit halftime lead in the third quarter. Boston made 58 percent of its shots, but made up only one point in the quarter.

Denver extended it to 72-56 on Gallinari's jumper with 6:32 left. Rondo had two jump shots to get back as close as 79-68, but the Celtics missed their last three shots of the quarter and trailed 80-68.

Gallinari had 15 points and Faried had 11 rebounds and eight points by halftime as the Nuggets built a 55-42 halftime lead. Six of Faried's points came in the last 4:40 after Boston had closed the gap to six.

Denver turned three turnovers into baskets and Al Harrington's short jumper put Denver ahead 38-27. Marquis Daniels got the Celtics within 40-34 when Faried made a basket. Faried had two more baskets and Gallinari made a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left in the half.

The Celtics struggled at the start, missing nine of their first 14 shots and were behind 29-22 after the first quarter. Denver made 5 of 9, 3-pointers, two by Gallinari.

"I told the team that they can't ease yourself into a game and then decide you want to join the war in the fourth quarter," Rivers said. "We were a different team in the fourth quarter when we played with spirit and fight."

NOTES: Jermaine O'Neal missed his 13th game with a sprained left wrist. "He's not ready," Boston coach Doc Rivers said of O'Neal. "Everyone else was ready." ... Including Paul Pierce who twisted his right ankle at the end of Friday's game in Sacramento. Pierce played 31 minutes before fouling out. .. The Celtics are 6-7 on the second night of back-to-back games. ... JaVale McGee was unavailable because Nene's physical was not complete yet with the Washington Wizards.

Notebook: Nuggets 98, Celtics 91

Posted Sunday March 18, 2012 1:11AM

By Michael Kelly, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Rookie Kenneth Faried had 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and the Denver Nuggets held off a late charge by the Boston Celtics to pull out a 98-91 win Saturday night.

Arron Afflalo had 15 points and Ty Lawson had 10 assists for the Nuggets, who improved to 4-3 on its nine-game homestand.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce scored 22 points each and Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 16 assists for the Celtics, who have dropped two straight.

QUOTABLE: "I love to rebound me the ball, it helps get me going. I'm more excited when I'm rebounding than scoring. If I get five or six rebounds in the first half I'm happier than if I get 10, 12 points."
-- Faried.

THE STAT: Faried had 11 rebounds -- one fewer than the entire Boston team -- in the 11:24 of playing time in the first half. He also was perfect in shooting, hitting all five field goals and all eight of his free throws.

TURNING POINT: After the Celtics cut a 17-point deficit to two, Lawson drained a 3-pointer with 3:01 left to make it 92-87. After Garnett missed on a jumper, Faried grabbed two rebounds -- one defensive, the other offensive -- that led to his alley-oop dunk that made it 94-87.

QUOTABLE II: "We don't close that game out probably without Kenneth. I was impressed with him the whole game but I really enjoyed him in the last three or four minutes."
-- Nuggets head coach George Karl.

HOT: After a slow start since coming back from missing a month with a severely sprained left ankle, Gallinari is coming on strong. He is averaging 18 points in his last three games and is showing more of his playmaking ability in the open court.

NOT: The Celtics had started to put pressure on Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division by winning 8 of 10, but now they've lost two straight. They have three more games left on this eight-game road trip, the last of which is against the 76ers.

QUOTABLE III: "We are all fighting for playoff position. Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and we just got to finish out this road trip on a good note."
-- Pierce, on the Celtics' last three games of their road trip.

INSIDE THE ARENA: In an ironic twist, there were more green shirts in the stands than Nuggets colors. While the Celtics did have a strong contingent of fans in Pepsi Center, most of the green was due to St. Patrick's Day.

GOOD MOVE: Knowing the Celtics were coming off a 25-point loss in Sacramento on Friday, the Nuggets pushed the pace every chance they got. At one point in the second quarter they stole the ball on three straight possessions and got two fast-break layups and a fast-break dunk out of it.

QUOTABLE IV: "We had our chances. We got outworked in the first half. In the second half we had a lot of chances, but I thought we joined the fight."
-- Boston head coach Doc Rivers.

BAD MOVE: With injuries decimating the front line, there wasn't much Rivers could do against the bigger Nuggets. Denver dominated the boards with a 46-27 advantage and won the battle in the paint, 48-40.

ROOKIE WATCH: Faried loves playing on Pepsi Center's court on St. Patrick's Day. Last year on this date, as a senior with Morehead State, he had 17 rebounds in an upset of Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

NOTABLE: Garnett had five assists to reach 5,000 for his career. ... The Nuggets didn't have newly-acquired big man JaVale McGee available. Denver traded Nene to Washington for McGee and Ronny Turiaf on Thursday but the deal has not been finalized because Nene's physical has not been completed.

UP NEXT: For the Celtics, Monday @ vs. Atlanta, Wednesday @ Milwaukee, Friday @ Philadelphia. For the Nuggets, Monday vs. Dallas, Wednesday vs. Detroit, Friday @ Utah.

• Celtics: O'Neal, Wilcox
• Nuggets: McGee, Turiaf

• Celtics: Rivers
• Nuggets: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #59 Gary Zielinski, #72 J.T. Orr
• Attendance: 19003
• Duration: 2:12