Nuggets Serve As Invaluable Litmus Test For Surging Celtics

BOSTON -- The Celtics and Nuggets' meeting Friday night at TD Garden promises to carry a lot more weight than your typical mid-January matchup.

It serves as a litmus test of sorts, for both sides.

It's pretty simple. The Celtics have essentially been the best team in the NBA since jump street, entering with an unmatched 32-9 record. The Nuggets? They're the defending champs, and despite holding a slightly less-daunting 28-14 record, they're the team everyone is looking to knock off.

Boston and Denver will both (likely) enter at full strength, with the Celtics removing Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis from their injury report prior to the matchup. Aaron Gordon is the only Nuggets regular to remain on theirs, and he's probably with a right shoulder sprain.

In other words, the stars will be out on Causeway.

The Celtics have handled business against pretty much everyone, but a matchup against the Nuggets provides something different. They're not entering with the same level of familiarity they have in wins against the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers this season.

Boston only has one opportunity to protect the parquet, and their 20-0 record on it, against Denver.

It'll be two months until the C's get an opportunity to see Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and company again, and they might have to wait until June to see them after that. If there was ever a mid-season matchup to keep your eyes on, it's this one.