Jayson Tatum, the star of the Boston Celtics, recently opened up about his expectations for the 2024 NBA Finals, admitting that he thought the Denver Nuggets were the team most likely to face off against his Celtics for the championship to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. In an interview, Tatum revealed that, as the 2024 NBA Playoffs unfolded, he believed the Nuggets were the only team capable of matching up with the Celtics and providing them with a tough challenge.

"People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship? When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that they matched up best with us. I thought that we were going to play Denver in the Finals and it was going to be a good one."

This statement sheds light on Tatum's respect for the Nuggets and their star player, Nikola Jokic, who was fresh off winning his third MVP award in four seasons. Denver, boasting a 57-25 regular-season record and significant momentum from their 2023 championship, seemed poised for another deep playoff run.

The Boston Celtics, who finished the 2023-2024 regular season with an impressive 64-18 record, were the best team in the league by a wide margin. However, despite their dominance, there were doubts surrounding Boston's ability to close out important playoff series due to past struggles. Tatum and his teammates were well aware of this, but they had been preparing for what they anticipated would be a showdown with Denver.

Denver had given the Celtics trouble during the regular season, defeating them in both matchups. On January 19, the Nuggets narrowly edged out the Celtics 102-100 in Boston, with Tatum struggling from the field and missing a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer.

When the two teams met again in Denver, the Nuggets won 115-109, with Tatum again having an off night, scoring just 15 points and missing a critical shot down the stretch. These games contributed to Tatum's belief that the Nuggets were the only team that could truly push the Celtics in a seven-game series.

Despite the high expectations for a Celtics-Nuggets Finals, the Western Conference playoffs took an unexpected turn. The Minnesota Timberwolves upset the Nuggets in a grueling seven-game series, eliminating Denver and dashing Tatum’s prediction.

For Tatum and the Celtics, however, this opened the door for what they believed was their best chance at winning a championship. Tatum admitted that once the Nuggets were eliminated, he was confident the Celtics would win it all.

Although the Celtics briefly stumbled with a blowout loss in Game 4 of the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, they bounced back in Game 5 to secure the NBA title. Tatum led the way with a game-high 31 points, cementing Boston’s place as NBA champions.

Reflecting on the season, Jayson Tatum expressed his respect for Denver as a worthy opponent and noted that a potential Finals matchup between the Celtics and Nuggets in the future remains an exciting possibility.