Denver Nuggets

As the old professional wrestling adage once went, to be the man, one must first beat the man. On January 19, 2024, in front of a captivated crowd eager to watch them protect a 20-0 home record, the Boston Celtics came face-to-face with “the men,” the at-the-time reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Just as motivated for the heavyweight clash that had NBA Finals potential peppered throughout, Denver rose to the occasion, enduring through what their coach called “haymakers” before delivering them right back. The night’s most powerful punches came from Nikola Jokić (34 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two 3-pointers on 14-of-22) and Jamal Murray (35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three 3-pointers on 15-of-21). Riding their stars, the Nuggets’ message at the time was clear: Boston’s record may have been the NBA’s best, but if the ball tips and those from the Mile High are present, the journey to June, presumably, would run through them. Denver’s season didn’t finish entirely to expectation, but with a high-profile win, the Nuggets rode the momentum to 57 wins — tied for the most in their franchise’s NBA history — and ultimately, the Western Conference’s No. 2 spot.