Size matters sometimes (Bill Sy): In two combined blowouts, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler have a combined 81 points on 29-of-55 shooting. Those aren’t astronomical numbers, but they’re indicative of what kind of players kill the Celtics: big, mobile swing men that can shoot and put the ball on the floor. After the game, Brad Stevens remarked that the Celtics match up better with the Warriors than the Nuggets and that’s true.
Because of Denver’s size, they can run Boston ragged with their motion offense and catch their front line on the run, post them up, or simply shoot over them. Last night, they hammered the Celtics early with back cuts and got easy looks around the rim. Against the Warriors, it’s easier to shut down Steph and Klay because Golden State runs all their action away from the rim. With the Nuggets, they want to run downhill even if it means kicking out for an open three (where they’ve shot 23-for-54 vs. the Celtics this season).