Celtics Vs Nuggets: Jokić drops 30 as Denver beats Boston in Game #58
Nikola Jokić dropped 30 as the Denver Nuggets beat the Boston Celtics in a Game #58 meeting played Feb. 25, 2026, and the matchup — celtics vs nuggets — closed Boston’s four-game Western road trip at Ball Arena. The game was scheduled for 10: 00 p. m. ET on with local windows on NBCSB and Altitude Sports; radio coverage listed 98. 5 Sports Hub, 92. 5 Altitude Sports Radio and Sirius XM.
Celtics Vs Nuggets at Ball Arena
The Celtics entered the contest with a 38-19 record and the Nuggets were 36-22. This was the second of two meetings between the teams this season; Denver won the first meeting 114-110 in Boston on Jan. 7. The two clubs met in Denver as the final stop on Boston’s four-game Western road trip, a trip on which the Celtics were 3-0 before the Ball Arena game and were 20-10 on the road for the season.
How the teams arrived
Boston came in 2nd in the East, 4. 5 games behind first-place Detroit, two games clear of New York in third and four games clear of Cleveland in fourth; the Celtics were 14-6 against Western Conference opponents, had won four straight and were 9-1 in their last 10. Denver was fourth in the West, eight games behind OKC and tied with Houston for third; the Nuggets were 15-11 versus Eastern opponents, 15-11 at home and 4-6 in their last 10, coming off a loss. Historically, the Celtics are 62-41 overall against the Nuggets and 21-30 in games played in Denver. Last season the Celtics won the series 2-0.
Trades and roster moves that shaped the night
The Nuggets reshaped depth in the offseason while keeping their core intact: Michael Porter, Jr. was traded for Cam Johnson; Dario Šarić was moved for Jonas Valančiūnas to address a backup center need; Denver signed free agents Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. and allowed Russell Westbrook to leave in free agency. The team did not have any picks in the 2025 draft. At the trade deadline Denver traded Hunter Tyson to Brooklyn for a second-round pick to avoid the luxury tax.
Lineups and availability
Boston listed Jayson Tatum as out while he rehabs from an Achilles injury. Jaylen Brown missed Tuesday’s game against the Suns but was available for the Denver game. The probable starting matchup noted PG: Derrick White vs Jamal Murray and SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Christian Braun. The Celtics’ reserves were listed as Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Amare Williams, Nikola Vucevic, Jordan Walsh and Delano Banton (10-.
Denver listed Tamar Bates (foot), Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Jalen Pickett (knee) and Peyton Watson (hamstring) as out. Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (toe) were both listed as probable.
What’s next on the schedule
After the game in Denver, Boston was set to return home for games against Brooklyn and Philadelphia before a trip to Milwaukee, then host Charlotte and Dallas ahead of a three-game road swing through Cleveland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City; Boston would then host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Denver’s immediate plan after the Ball Arena game included one road game at OKC, then home games against Minnesota and Utah, followed by home dates with the Lakers and Knicks, another trip to OKC, a home game with Houston and road games at San Antonio and the Lakers.
The contest combined the postseason-caliber standings and offseason roster moves with in-season availability questions — and the box score note that Nikola Jokić finished with 30 points as the Nuggets beat the Celtics is now the defining stat line from the night. Boston and Denver both move on to the next scheduled games listed above.
