Final: Celtics 102, Grizzlies 93

 

The Celtics played with fire on Saturday night, but ultimately responded when it mattered most. After blowing a 21-point first quarter lead in the second half, the Celtics opened the fourth quarter with a 16-0 run, which helped them pull away late from the Grizzlies with a 102-93 victory. The win closed out Boston's busiest stretch of the year with a 3-2 mark (five games in seven days), as the Celtics bounced back from an ugly outing against Utah on Friday night.

Jayson Tatum played one of his best games as a pro (19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) in the win, while Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 20 points. Marc Gasol scored 21 of his game-high 30 points in the third quarter, but the Celtics limited him well down the stretch (just two points in fourth quarter).

The Celtics continue their road trip on Monday night in Indiana and are the first team in the NBA to reach 25 wins.

First Half notes

• You could tell from the opening tip that this group was playing with far more purpose than we saw on Friday night. They ran offensive sets with energy and really honed in defensively on a subpar Grizzlies offense.


• After trading baskets out of the gate, the C's offense caught fire on both ends of the fire, storming out a 25-3 run over the middle eight minutes of the quarter. They were red-hot from 3-point range (4-of-5) with offensive contributions across the board.


• Defensively, they really keyed in on Marc Gasol, who Aron Baynes was able to bottle up with single coverage in the post. That helped other Celtics defenders force the Grizzlies into tough shots, as they labored to 22 percent shooting in the first quarter.


• Stevens tried to stagger the first unit and second unit a bit more, playing Al Horford with the bench unit, but that didn't do much to stop a mini-run from the Grizzlies at the start of the second, thanks to some easy transition points.

• Daniel Theis will be available to play despite breaking his nose during Friday's loss against the Jazz. He will wear a protective mask. Marcus Morris will miss his fifth straight game with a sore left knee.


• Chandler Parsons won't play for the Grizzlies on the second half of a back-to-back. Tyreke Evans is questionable with a hip injury.


• The Celtics have been a bottom-five defensive rebounding team over the last three weeks and will be tested by a front line with size in Green and Gasol.

• Marc Gasol was the story of this frame. He scored 21 of his 28 points in the quarter as caught fire beyond the arc during pick and pops. The Celtics lost their discipline in the frame.