Fatigue, cold shooting, and a decisive Denver run turn a 4-0 opportunity into a 3-1 finish out West.
The Celtics (38-20) didn’t get their perfect ending.
After rolling through Golden State (31-28), Los Angeles (34-23), and Phoenix (33-26) by an average margin north of 16 points, Boston arrived in Denver with a chance to complete a statement 4-0 Western Conference trip.
Instead, altitude, tired legs, and a late Nuggets surge turned Wednesday into a 103-84 loss at Ball Arena - a thud of a finish to what was still a strong 3-1 swing.
Here are four takeaways from Boston’s road-trip finale:
1. Defense traveled, Until It Didn’t:
For roughly three quarters, the Celtics executed a clear, disciplined plan.
They held Denver to 66 points through the first 34 minutes, and made Nikola Jokic work for everything.
The three-time MVP finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he shot just 11-for-28 from the field and 4-for-13 from deep.
Boston’s goal was obvious: turn Jokic into a volume scorer instead of a conductor.
It worked - early.
But sustained defensive control requires offensive support.
When Boston’s scoring dried up, Denver’s rhythm followed. The dam eventually broke in the third.
2. White & Brown Couldn’t Do It Alone:
Jaylen Brown set the tone with 12 first-quarter points and finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, though on an inefficient 7-for-21 shooting night.
Derrick White, playing in his home state, erupted for 18 points in the second quarter alone and ended with 20.
Outside of them? Production was scarce.
Boston shot 34.9% from the field and 12-for-43 (27%) from three - its worst shooting performance of the season and the first time since December 2022 the franchise dipped below 35% in a game.
The Celtics generated clean looks. They just didn’t convert.
When the legs went, so did the margin for error.
Feb 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (11) dribbles the ball after stealing the ball from Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half at Ball Arena. (Christopher Hanewinckel/Imagn Images)3. Bench Gap Proved Decisive:
Through three quarters, Boston’s reserves managed just five total points, shooting 2-for-18.
Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic combined to go 2-for-13 from the field and 1-for-7 from three.
Denver’s bench? A different story.
Even without Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, and after losing Jamal Murray to illness in the first quarter, the Nuggets outscored Boston’s reserves 42-17.
Jonas Valanciunas scored back-to-back buckets early in the fourth to stretch the lead to 81-67, part of a decisive 15-0 Denver run that flipped a one-point Boston edge into a double-digit deficit.
That stretch ended the game.
4. Context Matters:
This was Boston’s third game in four nights, in three cities, at altitude, against a rested contender.
Fatigue isn’t an excuse, but it’s part of the equation.
For much of the night, the Celtics defended at a high level, executed a smart scheme against Jokic, and competed.
They simply couldn’t sustain it.
Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench midway through the fourth as the lead ballooned past 20, signaling surrender on the night - not on the trip.
A 3-1 Western swing still strengthened Boston’s grip on the No. 2 seed in the East. The bigger picture remains intact, especially with Jayson Tatum’s eventual return looming.
Wednesday wasn’t pretty.
But in February, especially at altitude, sometimes the lesson is just how thin the margins are when the shots stop falling and the tank hits empty.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.