The Boston Celtics won their sixth game in seven tries as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 113-103 at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
Avery Bradley led the way with 23 points, but the C’s got an unexpected offensive boost from Gerald Green, who scored 19 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
The Celtics improved to 19-13 with the victory, while the Grizzlies dropped to 20-14 with the loss.
Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Al Horford
HOT START ON BOTH SIDES
With point guard Mike Conley Jr. and small forward Chandler Parsons both sidelined with injuries, the Grizzlies offense ran through center Marc Gasol early. The talented big man got off to a blazing start, pouring in 12 first-quarter points on 5-for-6 shooting.
The Celtics, however, countered with a quick start of their own. All five starters shot over 50 percent from the field in the first quarter, led by Bradley’s nine points on 4-for-7 shooting. The C’s led by four after the first quarter despite seven early turnovers. Boston featured terrific ball movement in the opening stanza as it assisted on seven of its 12 field goals in the quarter.
THE GERALD GREEN SHOW
The C’s have been looking for offensive bench production for a majority of the season, and it looks like Green’s jump shot finally has been activated. Green, who came in shooting 31.7 percent from the field, exploded in the second quarter, pouring in 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. He was able to score off the dribble and via the catch-and-shoot from deep, as he went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in the quarter. Green finished the game with a season-high 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
The Celtics led by eight at the break thanks to strong backcourt play from Bradley and Thomas, who combined for 23 first-half points.
HOLDING OFF MEMPHIS
After lighting up the NBA’s top-ranked defense in the first half, the Celtics staggered out of the gate in the third quarter. The Grizzlies turned up the pressure, forcing the C’s to miss four of their first seven shots in the period. Memphis trimmed the lead to three at multiple points, but the C’s were able to keep them at arm’s length thanks to 10 points apiece from Bradley and Crowder.
CLOSING TIME
The Grizzlies have become known for their grit, and they stayed true to their calling card, battling until the end. With veteran Zach Randolph adding 16 points off the bench, Memphis closed the gap to within three midway through the fourth quarter. But, Green drilled a long three-pointer to put the lead back to six and then made one final play to cap his night. After another Randolph hoop cut it to four, Green retrieved a wayward Thomas three-pointer, drove baseline and finished off the window, pushing the lead to six.
The Grizzlies made their last push with five minutes remaining in the game. After Horford missed a layup, Gasol hit a three from the top of the key to trim the lead to three, and it looked like the Celtics might let one slip away. As he has done time and time again, Thomas made the play to put the finishing touches on the win. Leading by five, Bradley collected a rebound and pushed the ball up to Thomas who took the contact from James Ennis and finished off the glass. He hit the free throw and extended his streak of consecutive games with 20 points to 16 games, finishing with 21.
PLAY OF THE GAME
This ended up being an important sequence.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will travel to Cleveland to face the defending NBA champion Cavaliers on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
