‘They tried to ice us’: Nuggets beat Celtics after nearly 40-minute delay to level rim
Aaron Gordon said the Boston Celtics attempted to bring the winter weather inside Ball Arena on Sunday, but the Denver Nuggets won 123-111 despite any schemes to derail the home team.
“They tried to ice us,” the veteran forward said after an 18-point performance that snapped the Celtics’ four-game win streak.
There was a nearly 40-minute delay in the fourth quarter after Robert Williams III slammed a dunk and rattled the rim with eight minutes left in the game. The Celtics pointed out that the rim seemed uneven after the play and asked officials to check. The game was paused with 6:43 on the clock and the Nuggets up 110-97.
Facilities workers brought out ladders and a level to straighten out the rim. Fans sat and listened to music on the sound system and were entertained by Nuggets mascot Rocky, who pretended to fix the rim on the other end of the court. Players ran around or did stretches in an attempt to keep warm.
STAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter now!
Nuggets players DeAndre Jordan and Christian Braun played rock, paper, scissors with a young fan who sat courtside. He had a sign that asked players to try their hand at the game in exchange for a pair of their shoes.
The Nuggets’ lead was enough to outlast the Celtics’ 14 points after the break.
For Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 30 points and had eight boards. Jayson Tatum added 25 points.
After the game, Brown expressed frustration at how the rim situation was handled.
“We just wasted all that time,” he said. “It has an effect on the game. That’s how injuries and stuff happen. Luckily, that didn’t. But that wasn’t good. That whole process was handled poorly.”
Nikola Jokic finished with a triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists as Denver got its seventh win in eight games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Denver Nuggets beat Boston Celtics after 40-minute delay to level rim
Source: Yahoo Sports
