Philippines, 18 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Denver Closes in on OKC for West Lead; Boston Wins Again to Stretch East Lead


PhilBoxing.com




Powered by Nikola Jokic's triple-double, the defending champion Denver Nuggets relied heavily on their starters to defeat the Toronto Raptors 125-119. This win allowed them to defend their home court and move within a half-game of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference lead.

Jokic scored 35 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists, leading the charge. Three other Nuggets starters – Jamal Murray (25 points), Aaron Gordon (19 points), and Michael Porter Jr. (19 points) – also played significantly in the win. The Raptors, who needed contributions from seven players scoring 12 points or more to stay competitive, were led by J.R. Barrett (26 points), Kelly Olynyk (24 points), and the rest of their active players.

The Raptors, in fact, were highly competitive in the first two quarters, even holding a 68-51 lead at halftime. However, the Nuggets outscored them in the remaining quarters, 40-32 and 32-21, to secure the victory. This win brings their record to 45 wins and 20 losses, just half a game behind the current leader, the OKC Thunder (45-19).

With a healthy starting lineup, including the returning Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets are motivated to not only climb to the top of the conference but also repeat as Western champions and make another run at the NBA title this 2023-24 season.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics made their intentions clear in the Eastern Conference with another victory, their 50th win against only 14 losses. They dominated the Portland Trail Blazers 121-99 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland.

The Celtics' depth shone again as Sam Hauser (22 points) and Derrick White (11 points) provided strong support off the bench for Jaylen Brown (27 points) and Jason Tatum (26 points) in the absence of Jrue Holiday. Additionally, Al Horford (11 points) and Luke Kornet (7 points) stepped up effectively while Kristaps Porzingis remained out.

Deandre Ayton led Portland with 22 points and 15 rebounds. He received assistance from Anfernee Simons (17 points), Jerami Grant (14 points), and Scoot Henderson (13 points).

This win puts Boston over 8 games ahead of their closest competitors, the Milwaukee Bucks. This strong position makes it highly likely for the Celtics to finish the regular season with the league's best record (after 82 games), granting them a significant advantage in the playoffs, especially the NBA Finals, if they reach that stage.

Photo: Denver's Aaron Gordon (No. 50) powers his way to the basket against four Raptors defenders.

The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.



Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Vayson aims to make history
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • KAIPO GALLEGOS TRAINING CAMP NOTES
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Day Two of 2025 USA Boxing National Open Delivers 108 Action-Packed Bouts in Tulsa
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Bryce Mills Boxes James Bernadin At del Lago Resort & Casino On Thursday, Oct. 30, in Waterloo, NY
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Caribbean Clash Returns Friday, November 7th at Gulfstream Park Casino in Hallandale, Florida
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • VM Sotto, City Council Recognize GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • Larida is Southern Coach of the Year
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • D.C. Knockout Artist Scooter Davis Signs Promotional Contract with Top Rank
    , Thu, 18 Sep 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 15 SEPTEMBER 2025: Crawford Snatches Canelo's Undisputed Crown at 168 Lbs; Inoue Defeats Akhmadliev to Retain 4 Superbantam Belts; Crocker Outpoints Donovan
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • “Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Smarts over power
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.