Sunday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets pitted the NBA’s Eastern and Western conference leaders against MVP contenders. Jason Tatum When Nikola JokicHowever, the showdown was overshadowed by a crooked rim, resulting in a delay of around 35 minutes.
Boston’s Robert Williams III It looked like the culprit after hanging onto the rim following a thunderous dunk with 8:06 left in the fourth quarter.
After a timeout with 6:43 remaining, officials called the arena crew to level the rim after the Nuggets led 110-97. It took six workers, two ladders, a spirit level, a phone, and eventually a crew member to remove the backboard rim before fixing it. Jalen Brown Controversy.
“There was no communication. .
“It affects the game. Injuries and such happen that way. Fortunately, it didn’t happen.” [happen], but it was not good. In my opinion, that whole process was handled poorly and that was also affecting me. But luckily no one was hurt.”
Players tried to jump and stay warm with Jokic and Denver teammates Aaron Gordon Jogging from sideline to sideline. Players were allowed a short warm-up before play resumed, after which the Nuggets pulled away.
‘Dude, that was crazy,’ says Denver Guard Bones Highland Talked about delays. “I’ve never been in that game before. We were just loose and trying to finish the game.”
Williams said he had never done anything like it.
“I didn’t know I did it until my teammates started blaming me,” he said.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone called the situation a “buzzkill.”
“There’s a joke out there: How many guys does it take to fix a rim in an NBA game?” he said.
Jokic had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists while the Nuggets led by 18 points in 2 hours and 40 minutes. He hit 10 of 13 shots from the field, as well as his second consecutive triple-double and all eight free throws for his ninth of the season. Bruce Brown The Nuggets shot 57 percent and made 17-of-30 3-pointers.
“He’s my MVP,” Bruce Brown said of Jokic. I don’t know where we are.”
Denver won its 10th in 12 games, taking the skid in six games against Boston and taking a one-game lead in the West.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Tatum shrugged off a slow start to add 25, and Boston shot just 9/33 from 3-point range to start four games. The loss snapped the Celtics to his fourth straight win and cut his lead in the East to just 1.5 games.
Many Celtics fans started shouting “MVP! MVP!” when Tatum entered the foul line late in the second quarter. Nuggets fans roared back with MVP chants as Jokic lined up.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
