Nuggets at Celtics
The Boston Celtics still will be without center Al Horford when they host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, but they may have another big man back in the fold. While Horford already has been ruled out for the second straight game due to a concussion, Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) has a chance to make his season debut.
"That's going to be completely his and (team trainer Eddie Lacerte's) call," coach Brad Stevens told reporters at practice on Saturday. "But he's getting a lot better. Like I said, he's right around the corner here." Olynyk would provide another solid shooter for a team that entered Saturday's action leading the NBA in field-goal percentage (49.4) and coming off a 122-point showing - albeit in a loss - at Cleveland. Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points and Avery Bradley added 26 for the Celtics, who have won four straight games against Denver and six in a row at home. The Nuggets are 1-2 on their five-game road trip after falling 103-86 in Detroit on Saturday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Altitude2 (Denver), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (2-3): Wilson Chandler came off the bench to score 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting against Detroit, but his teammates shot a collective 28.9 percent. One of the primary culprits was point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who missed all seven of his shots and is 4-of-25 over the last two games. Jusuf Nurkic recorded his second double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) and is averaging one for the season (15.2, 10.6).
ABOUT THE CELTICS (3-2): With Horford and Olynyk out and forward Jae Crowder missing due to an ankle injury, Boston has rushed rookie Jaylen Brown into more prominent duty. He scored a season-high 19 points in 35 minutes while guarding LeBron James in the loss to Cleveland, chipping in three steals and three 3-pointers in an impressive all-around effort. Thomas missed all six of his 3-point tries but was perfect on 14 free-throw attempts as he scored at least 23 points for the fifth time in as many games this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Six of Boston's top eight scorers are shooting at least 50 percent.
2. Denver is 7-35 all-time in Boston.
3. Bradley averaged 23.5 points while hitting eight 3-pointers in two wins over the Nuggets last season.