Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
The “Etihad Arena” hall witnessed the first NBA matches in Abu Dhabi 2024, presented by ADQ Holding Company, where the Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champions, succeeded in defeating their rival Denver Nuggets 107-103, amid an amazing atmosphere and attendance. He is a basketball fan and an elite celebrity.
Denver was able to make progress in the first half, but the course of the match changed when it returned its main players to the bench, and Boston followed suit and rested four of its five main players. The two teams entered 36 players into the match with the intention of focusing on the second match on Sunday, and giving the greatest amount of Minutes of play and experience for the largest possible number of players from both teams.
Boston Celtics player Payton Pritchard led the game with 21 points, and made 20 of 61 shot attempts from beyond the arc, while Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Jayson Tatum together contributed 25 points, and Jaylen Brown scored eight points, and at the same time, Nikola Jokic, the best player, scored. Denver had 14 points, Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. scored 12 points each, and Jamal Murray scored three points in the first 15 minutes.
The list of celebrities attending the Etihad Arena included American rappers 2 Chainz and Will.i.am, Brazilian model Isabella Goulart, Indian actress Disha Patani, Turkish actress Hande Ercel, Arab stars Rawan Bin Hussein and Shatha Hassoun, and a group of former football stars, including Gerard Pique, Thierry Henry, Iker Casillas, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos, Alessandro Del Piero and Christian Vieri.
In turn, Jaylen Brown, the Celtics star who participated three times in the All-Star Game, said: “The match gave us the opportunity to return to the atmosphere of the season, where we performed well, whether in defense or attack, and we had excellent opportunities, and the atmosphere was amazing here in Abu Dhabi, and I think The next match will be better, and continuing to improve our style remains the most important factor for success in the season.”