Porzingis wants to see Nuggets in Finals: ‘Going to be chess match’

Porzingis wants to see Nuggets in Finals: ‘Going to be chess match’

Porzingis wants to see Nuggets in Finals: ‘Going to be chess match’

In this video, Kristaps Porzingis discusses how to match up against Nikola Jokic, particularly when it comes to defensive matchups, and what makes the player so challenging to stop.

The Boston Celtics’ 20-game winning streak at TD Garden came to an end on Friday night when they lost 102-100 to the Denver

Nuggets, their first home setback of the season.

Jamal Murray of Denver and Nikola Jokic of Denver, who scored 35 and 34 points, respectively, dominated the game from the

beginning. All-Star contender Derrick White led Boston with 24 points, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had a difficult game early on and finished with 22 and 14 points, respectively.

Following a tightly contested game that emulated a playoff environment, Kristaps Porzingis spoke to the media on what he took away from the defeat.

“[Denver] is a real team,” The 7-footer said. “This is last year’s champs — that’s where we want to be.”

Porzingis logged another solid night, adding on to what’s been a fantastic season for the Latvian. In 26 minutes, the former fourth

overall pick logged 21 points on 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep, eight rebounds, two assists, and a block — all at or above his season averages.

“If we see them in the postseason it’s going to be a big chess match,” Porzingis added.

Even after Friday’s loss, the Celtics still own the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 32-10 record, 3.5 games ahead of the

second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Nuggets sit in third place, still two games out of first

place. Both teams are considered juggernauts in their respective conferences, and a Finals matchup between the two would not be surprising to most.

Boston was unable to stop Jokic, who made 14 of his 22 field goals this season, in a contest that saw less points scored than any other

game for the Celtics this season. Despite their similar stature, Porzingis was unable to slow down the Serbian national.

Regarding Jokic, Porzingis remarked, “He is a pure basketball genius. He is a pure talent.” “He is the world’s greatest player. He’s so

cunning that he practically puts you to sleep, as if he’s doing nothing but just slipping by you.”

Porzingis acknowledged that forcing Jokic into one-on-one situations with himself was part of the defensive strategy, but he also gave

Jokic credit for his ability to keep making difficult shots over him.

Even though this was just their first meeting of the season, the two will get another opportunity

for a rematch in Denver on March 7 of the regular season.

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