Boston Celtics fans are enjoying an unexpectedly competitive season. Things weren't supposed to be going so well for Joe Mazzulla's roster this year, not after trading away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday,

It was the most points the Nets had allowed all season. So was the 66.7 percent shooting they conceded. And the misprint-like 64.7 percent from 3-point range. Not since 2022 had Brooklyn allowed that many points. Not since April 1, 2025 had anybody in the NBA permitted better shooting.

On one side, there’s the Boston Celtics. One of the hottest teams in the NBA looking to escape their West Coast swing with a 4-0 record. On the other, the Denver Nuggets. A top-three seed in the Western Conference looking to regain their rhythm amidst a rough patch.

The Nets are still looking for their first post-All-Star break win after a poor performance in Boston.

Jaylen Brown returned to Boston's lineup after sitting out Tuesday night at Phoenix with a right knee contusion. Brown had 23 points for the Celtics, who finished 3-1 on a Western Conference trip. They had won five straight and nine of 10 before running out of steam in the thin air.

Joe Mazzulla and Jaylen Brown comment on Nikola Vucevic's on-court improvement for the Celtics, especially on offense.

Nobody expected the Boston Celtics to be this good. In fact, coming into the season, more people thought the Boston would be a play-in team than a contending team. In truth, those expectations were fair. Jayson Tatum had just gone down with an Achilles injury, and Brad Stevens had ushered in a retooling phase for the franchise.