On Wednesday, the NBA announced that the defending champion Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics will meet in Abu Dhabi for two preseason games in October.

advertisementThe third installment of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games will take place on October 4 and 6, featuring a matchup between the Nuggets, whose roster features two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, and the Celtics, who boast five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum.

Denver won their first NBA championship in 47 years last June with a victory over the Miami Heat, while Boston was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

In a news release, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum expressed his excitement about bringing the Celtics and the Nuggets to Abu Dhabi, because they are two of the top teams in the NBA.

“There is incredible momentum around basketball in the UAE and across the Middle East, and we believe these games as well as our year-round grassroots development and fan engagement efforts will be a catalyst for the continued growth of the game in the region.” — Observer

Those Celtics supporters will be living in nightmares after seeing Jayson Tatum’s critical time stat

Jayson Tatum vanishes in the clutch for no apparent reason. When it comes to game-winning shots, the superstar from the Boston Celtics never quite hits the mark.

аmоng 25 plаyers whо hаve аttempted аt leаst 45 field gоаls in key circumstаnces this seаsоn, Tаtum rаnks deаd lаst with а 32.6% cоnversiоn rаte (оnly 15 оf 46 tries).

Kobe Bryant was the hero of the seven-year veteran’s childhood. Playing style-wise, Tatum is remarkably similar to the Black Mamba, right down to the silky spin tricks, lightning crossovers, and delicate touches.

One minor distinction, though: Tatum has not yet acquired Kobe’s Mamba Mentality.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics have continually been let down when it really counts, despite being a part of a club that is generally considered to be among the league’s most talented for more than two seasons.

Unfortunately, a string of losses has clouded Boston’s path to championship glory. They were devastated in six games by the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 Finals. The next year, they lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat in a brutal seven-game series, crushing their hopes.Even though they were heavy favorites going into the game, the Celtics were shocked to lose to the Indiana Pacers in the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament.

Just like in their most recent game vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics let a 22-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter.