The second night of a back to back brings the second straight game against a legitimate NBA finals competitor.

Any hopes of the Nuggets being a true contender last season were dashed in Boston. The Nuggets were coming off of a loss on the road in a winnable game the night before (against the sorry New York Knicks) and they just got bludgeoned from start to finish by the Celtics. Those two games verified for me that my skepticism with all the Nuggets preseason talk was justified and I prepared myself for another playoff appearance and early exit.

I have seen enough of the Nuggets so far this season to believe enough in their new commitment to defense that no matter what happens tonight I will still retain some hope. However, a blowout like last season where the Nuggets did not even compete would be very disappointing.

The Celtics have been toying with their competition this season and maybe it is just a way to keep things exciting for them. In each of their last two home games they have fallen behind big in the first half and come back bigger in the second. At some point they will falter the question is when? Knowing the Nuggets history with the second night of back to backs it will probably not be tonight, but that is why they play the games.

Head on over to the unbelievably incredible Celtics Blog for some insight on the game from Boston’s side of the equation.