Boston Celtics lose top spot to the Denver Nuggets in Bleacher Report’s weekly NBA power rankings

Actions, it seems, have consequences.

The Boston Celtics’ recent loss to the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden did not do much to put a dent in their odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals. But it did have an effect on how the Celtics are seen by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey while he put together this week’s NBA power rankings for that outlet.

“Boston is still, by the numbers, dominating the entire league this season,” writes Bailey after the Celtics’ recent loss to the Nuggets, which had Boston lose the top overall spot to Denver. “The last time they were at home, they crushed the Golden State Warriors by 52 points. Mini-lulls like this may raise some eyebrows.”

“Facing a playoff atmosphere like the one in Denver … could be tough for seven straight games.”

“But there are still plenty of indicators to suggest the Celtics can make another deep playoff run,” suggests the B/R NBA analyst. “They’ve led the league in net rating and winning percentage for the bulk of the season.”

“They play most of their minutes with five dangerous shooters on the floor. They have all kinds of switchability on defense. This week proved the Celtics aren’t invincible, but they’re very much in the top tier of title contenders.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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