The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Boston Celtics 127-121. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were dominant, scoring a combined 59 points. This game also marked the return to the TD Garden from Marcus Smart, the beloved Celtic who was traded for Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics were without Al Horford, while the Grizzlies were missing Luke Kennard and Zach Edey. The Grizzlies improved to 16-8 with the win, while the Boston Celtics dropped to 19-5.
The Boston Celtics’ Slow Start
The Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies traded baskets early on. The Grizzlies then went on a 10-0 run to build a lead. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies were pushing the pace, playing physically, and getting the Celtics out of sorts. Every player attacked the basket, leading to quick buckets and free throws. Boston got a good stretch out of Payton Pritchard off the bench to trim the Memphis lead. But the Grizzlies maintained their lead, hitting a couple of key shots. At the end of the first quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies led 31-27.
Morant led the Grizzlies with 11 first-quarter points, shooting 2-of-2 from three. Jrue Holiday scored 11 for the Celtics but on 4-of-10 shooting. Pritchard had 9 points off the bench. Memphis built its lead back up in the second quarter, pushing it to nine off a lob to Brandon Clarke. Jaren Jackson Jr. began to roll for Memphis, scoring 13 points in the half. The Celtics were shooting many three-pointers, but they were not falling. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown got off to slow starts and Kristaps Porzingis exited with injury concerns. At this time, the Grizzlies pushed the lead to double digits. They were outrunning and outplaying the Boston Celtics. At halftime, the Memphis Grizzlies led 66-54.
Playing their fifth game in seven nights, the Boston Celtics came out flat. Tatum shot a measly 3-of-11 for 6 points in the first half. Memphis was forcing Holiday to shoot, and he shot 5-of-17, going 4-of-12 from three for 16 points. The Grizzlies were much more efficient. Morant scored 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Jackson Jr. had 13 on 5-of-7 shooting. Clarke also had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
The Memphis Grizzlies Close Win
Morant continued to light up the Boston Celtics in the third quarter. When Boston brought the deficit to six, an acrobatic Morant dunk brought it back to double digits. The Grizzlies’ defensive strategy was to leave Holiday open, bringing pressure onto Tatum and Brown, and Holiday did not take advantage. A Tatum and-one brought it back to a 6-point game, and a Pritchard three made it a one-score game. With Morant on the bench, the Boston Celtics went on a 13-3 run, forcing their way back into a game they looked completely out of. Morant then came back into the game and hit a couple of threes, giving Memphis a 94-89 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Brown tied the game at 94 with a three, and a Pritchard three gave them their first lead of the game. This scoring stretch woke up the TD Garden and the game was back and forth from there. The Grizzlies retook the lead on a 10-0 run, as Jackson Jr. took over the game. He was scoring on whoever the Celtics put on him to maintain the Memphis lead. With 5:15 remaining, the Boston Celtics trailed 113-109.
Both teams went back and forth with a few enthralling sequences until a Desmond Bane three and layup put the Grizzlies up by nine. In the final stretch, there was a sequence where multiple Celtics were knocked to the floor, but no fouls were called. A Brown dunk made it a four-point game, but it was too little too late. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Boston Celtics 127-121.
Final Thoughts
The Memphis Grizzlies improved to 16-8 with the win. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were incredibly effective, getting to the rim and nailing three-pointers. Morant scored 32 points and Jackson Jr. scored 27. The Boston Celtics dropped to 19-5 with the loss. Jrue Holiday scored 23 points but did so on 26 shots. Brown and Pritchard each scored 22 points. It was the Grizzlies’ second straight win, winning seven out of their last eight games.
