Celtics at Nuggets
The Boston Celtics just did something for the first time in the Brad Stevens era and are hoping to turn that momentum toward the rest of their road trip. The Celtics will try to pull to 2-1 on the trip when they visit the struggling Denver Nuggets on Friday. Evan Turner buried a 3-pointer with one second left to give Boston a 90-89 win in Portland on Thursday, snapping a string of 24 straight road losses against Western Conference teams.
The Nuggets were working their way toward .500 with a five-game winning streak but have since dropped four in a row, including a 43-point loss at Golden State on Monday. Denver showed more fight against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday but still suffered a 109-99 loss, and coach Brian Shaw is considering some changes to the lineup. “I don't want to overreact because I'm still not in a good mood after the last couple games,” Shaw told reporters. “So I'm trying to keep an even head and stay as optimistic as I possibly can considering the circumstances.”
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (14-26): Boston forward Jared Sullinger is averaging 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in the last five games and put up 17 and nine on Thursday at Portland. His biggest play came on a missed opportunity on offense, when he lost the ball in the final seconds but fought off three defenders to get it back and then threw the pass from his backside to Turner for the game-winner. The win snapped a three-game slide and marked the Celtics’ fourth victory in the past 16 games.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (18-24): One lineup change will be the return of forward Danilo Gallinari, who is expected to play Friday after missing the previous 15 games with a torn meniscus in his right knee. “My hope is to pick up right where I left,” Gallinari told the Denver Post. “That's my goal. I don't know if it's going to happen or if it's not going to happen. Maybe it's going to take a while. My focus is to be ready.” Gallinari missed the entire 2013-14 season following surgery and played 24 games this season before going down again, but, when healthy, he provides the Nuggets with an outside shooting threat to go along with Arron Afflalo.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics C Kelly Olynyk suffered a sprained right ankle Thursday and will not play over the weekend.
2. Nuggets G Jameer Nelson is averaging 13 points in four games after putting up 4.8 in six with the Celtics before being traded.
3. The home team has taken the last nine meetings, with Denver crushing Boston 129-98 at home last season.