The Celtics will face their first home loss of the season when they meet the Denver Nuggets in Boston on Friday night.

Boston secured their 20th consecutive win at home by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 117-98 on Wednesday.

The Celtics excelled in 3-point shooting, making 18 of 38 attempts, including 13 out of 19 in the first half.

“The goal has been to build a connection and identity with the city and with the team to where they give us this lift and this level of support that they have when we play a certain type of way, Celtics basketball,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We’ve done that for the first 20 games at home. That’s been the goal.”

“When you play for the Celtics, there’s a ton of records, traditions, great players. If you chase them all, you’re bound to let yourself down. … I think it’s more about living in that space of what Celtics basketball is all about and playing the best we can for as long as we can.”

When the Celtics played against the Spurs, Kristaps Porzingis (starting center) was absent due to right knee inflammation, and Derrick White (starting point guard) due to a left ankle sprain.

Despite this, Jayson Tatum managed to score 24 points, and Jrue Holiday‘s remarkable 22-point performance included six 3-pointers, contributing to the Celtics’ three-game winning streak.

“I think we still are improving,” Jaylen Brown commented after scoring 21 points on Wednesday. “This is the part of the regular season where you gotta embrace — you can get complacent, you can get mentally checked out. We’re trying to make sure we all are engaged, and this is where you build your endurance for a long playoff drive.”

After winning their first NBA championship last season, the Nuggets are aiming to overcome the setback from their 126-121 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday. Their road record now stands at 11-10 for the season.

Denver was tied 78-78 at halftime but led 104-99 after the third quarter, only to be outscored 27-17 in the final quarter. Denver faced issues with turnovers and conceded 13 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, which led to their defeat.

“Obviously not the outcome we wanted, but proud of the effort,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “We just have to be a little bit cleaner for the full 48.”We just didn’t take care of the ball down the stretch. That’s what it came down to. We have to be better at defending, and defending without fouling.”

Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP, managed to secure 25 points and 19 rebounds in the loss. Notably, all of Jokic’s career-high 11 offensive rebounds came in the first three quarters. He currently maintains an average of 25.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game.

This game will mark the Nuggets’ second stop on a five-game road trip. Their upcoming matchups include games against Washington, Indiana, and New York.

Additionally, this game will be the first of two regular-season matches between the Nuggets and Celtics. The second game is scheduled to take place in Denver on March 7.