The Memphis Grizzlies (16-8) took down the Boston Celtics (19-5) with a convincing 127-121 victory on December 8.
Memphis sustained its impressive streak, winning eight of their last nine. Ja Morant delivered a strong all-around performance, racking up 32 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. Jaren Jackson Jr. was everywhere on the court, posting 27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks while Brandon Clarke added 18 points and 8 rebounds.
The Celtics struggled offensively throughout the night, shooting a miserable 18-for-60 from beyond the arc. Jrue Holiday led the team with 23 points but shot a brutal 4-for-17. Jayson Tatum went 1-for-10 and finished with 17 points while Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points but shot 3-for-10. Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard were the lone bright spots, each contributing 22 points. Boston was also dominated in the paint, 40-64.
Morant Powered the Attack While Bane Delivered in the Clutch
The Grizzlies came out firing, jumping to an (18-8) lead while the Celtics looked uncharacteristically off, missing six of their first seven attempts from three. Holiday started finding his shot and Pritchard provided an instant impact from the bench, trimming the deficit to four. Boston tried to claw their way back in the second but Memphis always had an answer, pushing their lead to 8 points repeatedly. The Celtics couldn’t get anything going, while the Grizzlies stretched the margin to 12 at the break.
Memphis looked to be in control in the third with Morant driving the action. Boston shook things up by switching to a bigger lineup. The change paid off, igniting a 13-3 surge to close the gap to two. But Morant responded with a pair of threes to push the lead back to five.
Boston charged into the fourth with an 11-2 burst, grabbing a (100-96) lead. But Jackson Jr. stepped up and put the Grizzlies back up by six. The Celtics kept fighting, pulling within one point but Bane came up with huge plays down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
The Celtics host the Pistons on Friday while the Grizzlies face the Wizards tomorrow.
