Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 122-107 victory over the Grizzlies with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Starters ace tuneup: Jayson Tatum scored all of his game-high 29 points in the opening three quarters, which helped the Celtics cruise to a 122-107 win over the undermanned Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
Kemba Walker and Gordon Hayward also chipped in with 19 points in the balanced offensive effort for the C’s that featured six players scoring in double figures against a Memphis team that was desperate for a win. Boston broke things open with some help from the bench midway through the first half and did not look back over the final 24 minutes, maintaining a double-digit lead while posting 51 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. It was the fourth straight win for the C’s and probably the last appearance by the starters ahead of the postseason with just one meaningless seeding game remaining on Thursday.
Ja Morant had a team-high 26 points for the Grizzlies along with 13 assists who fell to 1-6 in the bubble.
Grizzlies pick gets closer to the lottery: With the loss, Memphis is in danger of falling out of the play-in game for the No. 8 seed entirely in the Western Conference which would land the Celtics the No. 14 overall pick in all likelihood this fall for the 2020 NBA Draft. The Grizzlies can still ensure a spot in the 8 vs. 9 play-in game with a win against the Bucks Thursday but they are no longer a lock for the No. 8 seed in that scenario, which signals they could have to win back-to-back games in the play-in this weekend as the No. 9 seed. The Grizzlies aking the playoffs will put the pick heading Boston’s way at No. 17 overall so the C’s will be rooting hard for Milwaukee to send the Grizzlies home for good.
Bring on the Sixers? Philadelphia fell to Phoenix earlier on Tuesday while resting the majority of their starters, setting the stage for a likely Sixers-Celtics first-round matchup starting next week. The Sixers can still technically move up to No. 5 overall but they would need to win their final two games and also have the Pacers drop their final two. With Ben Simmons out and Joel Embiid day-to-day with an ankle injury, the Celtics scouting staff can feel good about starting their prep for an undermanned Sixers squad a few days early.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics blew the game wide open midway through the first half with a 22-4 run thanks to plenty of strong work in the pick-and-roll between Smart and Williams, along with the scoring of Tatum. The outburst forced Memphis to play catch-up from a double-digit deficit for the final 30 minutes of this one, a hill that was too big to climb.
TWO UP
Tatum: The All-Star remains on a tear in Orlando after his opening stinker against the Bucks. He made 10 of his first 12 shots over the first three quarters for 29 points, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, wreaking havoc against a Grizzlies team that lacked solid wing defenders.
Rob Williams: Good things keep happening when the second-year center is on the floor. He played behind Enes Kanter in this one during the first half but his finishing ability around the basket still helped him stand out. He piled up 10 quick points in 14 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting while chipping in on the defensive end with three blocks, his fourth straight productive game.
TWO DOWN
Jaylen Brown: A rare off-night for the swingman in Orlando. He missed 10 of his 13 shots from the field and was an ugly 1-of-8 from downtown to finish with 7 points over 28 minutes.
Grant Williams: The reserve forward got back into the rotation in this one ahead of Semi Ojeleye but had a couple turnovers and airballed a corner 3. He will get his chance against big frontlines but it’s hard to say he deserves minutes over Ojeleye after this effort.
TOP PLAY
⛸️⛸️⛸️ pic.twitter.com/UjbXOfOP25
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 11, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The Celtics offense is in an even better spot than before the hiatus: The Celtics scored 122 points for the fourth straight game on Tuesday and the team also dished out 27-plus assists for the fourth straight game as well. That kind of scoring and passing has put Boston’s offense as the second-highest ranked offense in the Orlando bubble with a constant blend of scoring coming from 2-3 starters along with the bench for the majority of bubble play so far. The team’s 120 points per 100 possessions in Orlando is seven points higher than their season mark and makes Boston look like one of the only teams in the bubble that look formidable on both ends of the floor right now (the defense has come around during the winning streak). Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens had been dreaming for years about setting up an offense with four dynamic scorers spreading the floor at all times with true cohesion and the table has been set for that this postseason if this group can carry the momentum.
Brad Stevens is going to have some interesting bench choices for the postseason: Marcus Smart is in a different category than everyone else when it comes to bench players but the entire second unit continues to give Stevens solid minutes in these games. Brad Wanamaker has played well, just like he did in the first half of the season with timely shooting and aggression on the offensive end, making him a lock for 10-15 minutes a night. The battle at center is heating up though with both Rob Williams and Enes Kanter delivering solid play with each playing to their strengths. With Grant Williams looming as a wildcard at power forward along with Semi Ojeleye, who Stevens opts to go with during any postseason matchup against Philly will be intriguing. Kanter has the strength and rebounding advantage over Williams at center but R. Williams has had the more productive minutes overall in Orlando, which makes me think he’s worthy of the nod due to his defensive upside. Having numerous qualified options will be a good problem to have for Stevens and a nice change of pace from the bench’s woes pre-hiatus.