Final: Celtics 112, Grizzlies 103 -- C's rally from 19 down for victory

The Celtics rallied from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to pull away from the Grizzlies for an impressive 112-103 victory at FedEx Forum. Kyrie Irving scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half while Al Horford tied a career-high with five 3-point makes. Marcus Morris chipped in with 22 points and Guerschon Yabusele played some of his best defensive minutes of his career in the second half, which helped fuel the comeback.

Boston heads to San Antonio now to wrap up a three-game road trip on New Year's Eve.

GAME: No. 35 of 82
WHO: Celtics (20-14) vs. Grizzlies (18-16)
WHEN:  8:00 EST
WHERE:  FedEx Center
RADIO: 105.7 WROR
TV: NBC Sports Boston

First Half Notes

• Offense comes out with some rhythm against a tough Grizz defense. Jayson Tatum gets some good looks and the ball is moving.


• Grizzlies are pounding the paint with success, using Gasol in postups and working cuts to take advantage of gaps on the back line.


• C's lack of an interior presence is really hurting them on the back line. Horford doesn't have the burst to be a rim protector right now and neither does Theis.


• Yabusele got a look for a few minutes but hasn't looked nearly as good as he did against the Rockets.


• Jaylen Brown keeps hitting an absurd amount of turnarounds in the lane and is attacking nicely.


• Disasterous second quarter from the C's as Grizzlies put together a 18-3 run to close the half, as the turnovers piled up for Kyrie and company. The lack of defense was alarming as well against the fifth worst offense in the NBA.

• The Celtics bench will be shorthanded up front for the second straight game with Aron Baynes (hand) and Rob Williams (groin) sidelined. Williams will miss the remainder of the C's road trip after suffering the injury earlier this week, while Baynes is out until February.


• Terry Rozier is shooting just 31 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range over his last seven games.


• The Grizzlies are riding a two-game winning streak after dropping five straight contests against playoff teams last week. They have one of the five worst offenses in the NBA, but remain a grinding team with the sixth-best defensive rating in the league.