ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — When the Celtics arrived here Tuesday to begin this two-game preseason trip against the Nuggets, coach Joe Mazzulla was hopeful it would help identify the ways the defending NBA champions need to improve.
After rolling to a 130-104 win against a shorthanded Denver team Sunday to improve to 2-0, Mazzulla believed his primary goal had been accomplished.
“I think Denver put us in some tough situations and exposed some things we can work on the rest of the preseason because of their personnel and the tactics they have, they’re constantly testing us,” Mazzulla said. “So it was really good to get that on film.”
Specifically, Mazzulla said, the Celtics need to work on their post defense, off-ball communication, and offensive recognition.
“Preseason is an opportunity to commit to the fundamentals and compete, and I think we’ve done both of those,” Mazzulla said. “And then just iron out the things that we know lead to winning and losing.”
Jaylen Brown scored 21 points, Jayson Tatum had 17, and Sam Hauser added 15 on 6-of-7 shooting. One game after attempting 61 3-pointers — which would have been a franchise record if the game had counted — the Celtics connected on 18 of 47.
Al Horford sat out for the second game in a row. Mazzulla reiterated that the team is ramping up the 38-year-old big man’s workload gradually this preseason. After a red-eye flight back to Boston on Sunday followed by a few days off, the Celtics will resume training camp before facing the 76ers in a preseason game on Saturday.
Observations from the game:
▪ Brown said he packed on some muscle this offseason and is eager to display a more physical style of play. There were more hints Sunday.
On one fast break, Denver’s Vlatko Cancar stood his ground and tried to draw a charge, but Brown simply absorbed the contact, maintained his balance, and converted a 3-point play.
In the second quarter, he easily backed down his defender with several strong dribbles before converting a baseline turnaround. In the third, he sliced through an opening, took another bump, hung in the air, and scored. He flexed both biceps as he jogged back downcourt, in case the crowd needed a reminder.
Mazzulla said Brown’s physicality will be beneficial at the other end of the court, too.
“He’s a physical player,” Mazzulla said. “He does a great job coming into training camp in shape. I think that makes us a little more dynamic. The thing about him is because of his physicality and his mind-set he likes taking on the challenge of guarding different positions. So with that type of mind-set we’ll be able to put him on maybe big guys or different guys and just kind of change the game dynamic with his physicality.”
▪ Tatum started the game with a pair of 3-pointers before rolling in a pair of fadeaway jumpers, a shot he seems to be focused on this preseason. He looked comfortable shooting during these two games.
Tatum struggled with his long-range shot during the playoffs last season as well as during his limited chances in the Olympics. He said he tweaked his mechanics with trainer Drew Hanlen in the offseason, and so far the shot has looked smoother, with less of a hitch.
“Some things he saw mechanically that I could focus on: leaning forward, keeping my shoulders forward, things like that,” Tatum said. “Quicker release. So, just watching a lot of film and trying to improve and get better than I was last season.”
▪ It was somewhat surprising to see Tatum and Brown back on the court to start the third quarter. None of Boston’s starters played in the second half Friday. Their stay was brief, however. They took a seat after Tatum hit a 3-pointer with nine minutes left in the third.
▪ Payton Pritchard was the star of Friday’s win but he had a quiet first half Sunday. He played just four minutes because of foul trouble and did not attempt a shot. But that did not last. Pritchard erupted for 14 third-quarter points, including a deep 4-point play that appeared to leave Nuggets coach Mike Malone exasperated.
Pritchard and Hauser, who added eight rebounds, both generally looked excellent during these two games.
“Those two guys are just rock-solid and they work every single day,” Mazzulla said. “They both have an understanding of how to impact the game on offense and defense, and they’re reliable. You know exactly what you’re getting from those guys.”
▪ It’s tough to read deeply into rotations after two preseason games, but it looks like second-year forward Jordan Walsh could be in the mix to get rotation minutes, particularly on nights Boston is shorthanded. He had extended runs with the second unit in both games and has brought good energy.
“He’s gotten a lot better,” Mazzulla said. “I really enjoyed watching him play and just sticking to the details. He crashed defensively, and he was in the right position defensively. Offensively he made great reads and he just made the simple play and I thought he played with a sense of toughness.”
Walsh had 2 points and two steals in 13 minutes Sunday.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.