The Boston Celtics defeated the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon. Bouncing back from a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston improved its record to 43-18 on the season. Jayson Tatum did not turn in his usual offensive production on Sunday,

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Denver Nuggets vs. Boston Celtics NBA game to be played on March 2, 2025 on ESPN.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, right, drives toward the basket past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, front left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 2,

Boston takes on the Denver Nuggets after Jayson Tatum scored 46 points in the Boston Celtics' 123-116 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The two most recent NBA champions are playing well enough to reach the finals, and as we saw Sunday, it would be a compelling matchup.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points and Derek White hit a floater from the foul line with less than a minute left to help the Boston Celtics recover after blowing most of a 20-point first-half lead and beat the Denver Nuggets 110-103.

What can the Nuggets expect in the playoffs? Opposing defenses will dare non-shooters to shoot, yes, but offenses will target perceived weaknesses on Denver’s defensive end, too.

The Nuggets almost survived to Jokic’s return. They were down 88-84. The last minute without him was a near-death sentence, though. Sam Hauser knocked down a transition drive-and-kick 3-pointer to bring the house down with 8:11 to go, highlighting a 6-0 burst.