Final: Celtics 131, Grizzlies 91 - No drama blowout in Marcus Smart's return

BOSTON CELTICS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

6:00 p.m., NBCS Boston

Line: Boston -18.5

INJURIES

Boston: Jaylen Brown (QUESTIONABLE, back), Luke Kornet (PROBABLE, hamstring)

Memphis: So many that I’m giving you a screenshot of the report instead of typing it all out. It doesn’t even include Ziaire Wiliams, who is out with an injured hand but he didn’t fit on this page. 

LAST TIME

Celtics 102, Grizzlies 100 - November 19

It was a one-point game after one thanks to 13 first-quarter points from Desmond Bane. Kristaps Porzingis’ 12 helped counter that as Boston did most of its early damage in the paint. The second half saw undisciplined defense and Santi Aldama got loose for 10 points. The game stayed close through the third and fourth and even when the Celtics looked to pull away, Memphis stayed close, taking a big defensive play by Porzingis to seal the win.

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Come out strong: After the loss to the Lakers, the Celtics have a responsibility to come out and play better at the start of this game. The Grizzlies are decimated, losers of four games in a row, and struggling to even field a team. Tosan Evbuoman got 16 minutes in the last game. Do you know who that is? I don’t. 

If the Celtics aren’t careful, these guys trying to make a name for themselves will do what the Lakers did and play harder and make tougher plays. Boston has to match that energy and impose their will, head into the half up 30, and coast.

2. Communicate: One of the things that can suffer during a stretch like this is communication. 

“I think sometimes we, my part included, sometimes I’ll mess up the flow of the game calling a set that the guys don’t see,” Joe Mazzulla said at yesterday’s practice. “I see a set, they see something different, and then we’re disconnected for like the first eight seconds of the shot clock. … 

“The game is connected. When your transition defense is bad, it’s because your offense is bad. When your rebounding is bad, it's because your shift activity in the first line of your defense, whether it's the pick-and-roll coverage or your individual defense those things. So it's just getting reconnected on those things.”

3. Marcus Smart’s impact: Will the Celtics get caught up in jawing with Smart on the sidelines, or will they just focus on the task at hand? There's a little bit of a fear that Smart will get into people’s heads and that’ll be a distraction.

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.