The Celtics shut out their 6 recreation highway journey with a cease in Memphis to tackle the Grizzlies. That is the second, and last, recreation between these two groups this season. The Celtics misplaced 127-121 in Boston on December 7. The Celtics are 37-20 all time towards the Grizzlies and they’re 18-10 in video games performed on the highway. The Celtics had been 2-0 final season towards the Grizzlies.
This shall be a barely completely different group than the one which the Celtics performed in December. The Grizzlies made a 3 group commerce on the deadline. They despatched former Celtic Marcus Sensible to the Washington Wizards and Jake LaRavia to Sacramento in change for Marvin Bagley III and several other picks. Additionally they had 5 gamers on the harm listing for that recreation.
The largest change for the group got here simply this week. The Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins after 6 years with the group. It’s a very odd transfer with simply 3 weeks left till the playoffs and the Grizzlies sitting in fifth place. Additionally they fired assistant coaches Noah LaRoche and Patrick St. Andrews. Assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo was promoted to interim head coach. The Grizzlies misplaced their first recreation below his management on Saturday.
The Celtics stay 2nd within the East. They’re 4.5 video games behind 1st place Cleveland. They’re 8.5 video games forward of third place New York and 12 video games forward of 4th place Indiana. They’re 31-7 on the highway and 9-1 of their final 10 video games. They’re 20-8 towards Western Convention opponents they usually have gained their final 8 video games.
The Grizzlies are fifth within the West, 18 video games behind first place Oklahoma Metropolis. They’re 1 recreation behind the 4th place Lakers and a pair of.5 video games behind t3rd place Denver. They’re 1.5 video games forward of sixth place Golden State and a pair of forward of each seventh place Minnesota and the eighth place Lakers. They’re 25-12 at residence and 4-6 of their final 10 video games. They’re 18-9 towards Jap Convention groups and have misplaced their final 2 video games.
The Celtics are taking part in within the last recreation of a 6 recreation Western highway journey. They’ve gained the primary 5 video games on the journey and are in search of the primary 6-0 highway journey in Celtics historical past. After this journey, the Celtics will play 2 at residence towards Miami and Phoenix. Then it’s again on the highway for video games at New York and at Orlando. They are going to end the season with 2 video games towards the Charlotte Hornets at residence.
The Grizzlies simply completed a 5 recreation highway journey the place they beat Utah and misplaced to Sacramento, Portland, Oklahoma Metropolis and the Clippers. They’re taking part in within the second of a 3 recreation residence stand. They misplaced to the Lakers on Saturday and can play the Warriors to complete the house stand. They then play at Miami, Detroit, and Charlotte earlier than one recreation at residence towards Minnesota. They end the 12 months with a recreation at Denver after which one at residence towards Dallas.
Payton Pritchard missed Saturday’s recreation with with left hip flexor tightness however is predicted to be again for this recreation. Al Horford missed Saturday’s recreation as a result of a toe sprain and can also be anticipated to return for this recreation. Jaylen Brown performed Saturday however has been coping with proper knee posterior impingement and is questionable for this recreation. If Jaylen can’t play, Sam Hauser could get the beginning in his place. Luke Kornet was a late addition with an sickness and is questionable. For Memphis, solely Brandon Clarke (knee) and Zyon Pullin (knee) are out.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesAl HorfordNeemias QuetaBaylor ScheiermanJordan WalshLuke KornetTorrey CraigSam HauserPayton PritchardXavier Tillman
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonMiles Norris
Accidents/OutJaylen Brown (knee) questionable Luke Kornet (sickness) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Grizzlies Starters
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Grizzlies Reserves Santi AldamaMarvin Bagley III Jay HuffGG Jackson II Luke KennardJohn KoncharScotty Pippen, JrLaMar StevensVince Williams, Jr
Two-Approach Gamers Zyon PullinYuki KawamuraCam Spencer
Accidents/Out Brandon Clarke (knee) out Zyon Pullin (knee) out
Head CoachTuomas Iisalo (interim)
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Jason Miller/Getty Photos
Ja Morant
Photograph by Justin Ford/Getty Photos
Jrue Vacation vs Ja MorantMorant is averaging 22.3 factors, 4.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 44.7% from the sector and 28.9% from past the arc. Within the first recreation, Morant completed with 32 factors, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and a pair of steals whereas taking pictures 55% from the sector and 66.7% from past the arc. Morant may be very athletic and fast and so he may give the Celtics issues. They want to stick with him on protection to attempt to sluggish him down.
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Jayson Tatum
Photograph by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Photos
Jaren Jackson, Jr
Photograph by Meg Oliphant/Getty Photos
Jayson Tatum vs Jaren Jackson, Jr.Jackson is averaging 22.4 factors, 5.6 rebounds 2.1 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 49.5% from the sector and 37.9% from past the arc. Within the first recreation, Jackson completed with 27 factors, 9 rebounds, 1 help, 4 blocks and three assists whereas taking pictures 57.8% from the sector and 75% from past the arc. Jackson is taking part in very nicely this season and is an actual menace to attain. He’s additionally a former Defensive Participant of the 12 months, and can make it troublesome for whoever he’s guarding to attain.
Honorable point out Derrick White vs Desmond Bane Bane is averaging 18.9 factors, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 48.4% from the sector and 39.3% from past the arc. Within the first recreation, he completed with 14 factors, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and three steals whereas taking pictures 41.7% from the sector and 40.1% from past the arc.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is at all times the important thing to successful. The Celtics are fifth with a defensive ranking of 110.3. The Grizzlies are twelfth with a defensive ranking of 112.6. The Grizzlies are 2nd in scoring with 122.2 factors per recreation whereas the Celtics are eighth with 116.9 factors per recreation. The Celtics are 1st in 3 level makes an attempt with 48.3 and eighth in 3 level proportion at 37.0%. The Grizzlies are 14th with 37.5 three level makes an attempt per recreation and tenth in 3 level proportion at 36.8%. The Celtics have to protect the perimeter and likewise guard the paint for the reason that Grizzlies are 2nd averaging 56.5 factors within the paint. Of their first assembly, the Celtics allowed the Grizzlies to shoot 50% from the sector and 45.5% from past the arc. They must defend higher on this one in the event that they need to win it.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball and to get the ball, they must seize rebounds. The Celtics are eleventh within the league, grabbing 44.9 rebounds per recreation whereas the Grizzlies are 2nd with 47.2 rebounds per recreation. A lot of rebounding is effort and hustle and the Celtics must put out extra effort than the Grizzlies with a purpose to beat them to rebounds.
Play Laborious for 48 Minutes – The distinction within the Celtics wins and losses on this 12 months has been the quantity of effort they offer on each ends of the court docket. The Grizzlies beat them of their first assembly by taking part in more durable. The Celtics have to be extra aggressive in going for unfastened balls, rebounds, in going to the basket and on protection. They must decide to giving full effort from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. Hopefully they’ve realized from their losses and gained’t slack off on effort for even a minute on this recreation. They should take cost of the sport from the opening tip till the ultimate buzzer. The Celtics have to be the more durable group each bodily and mentally.
Transfer the Ball – The Celtics are robust to beat after they preserve the ball shifting and discover the open man however when one participant over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. The Celtics are 40-2 after they have extra assists than their opponent however simply 13-16 after they have fewer assists than their opponent. Preserve the ball shifting and don’t lapse into hero ball, whether or not within the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball hardly ever works.
X-Elements On the Street and Fatigue – The Celtics are on the highway for the sixth straight recreation away from TD Backyard. They should get previous the distractions of journey and being away from their properties and households they usually must preserve from being rattled by the hostile crowd. They’ve to focus on taking part in the proper means and ignore all of the distractions. The ultimate recreation of a highway journey is at all times the hardest and the Celtics should be mentally robust to get a win on this one.
Officiating – Officiating is at all times an x-factor. Some officers name the sport tight and name each little little bit of contact. Others allow them to play and permit each groups to be bodily. Some refs name it one sided for one group whereas others name it even. Some refs give the house group the advantage of the calls whereas others favor the highway group or favor neither. The Celtics have to focus on taking part in their recreation and never permit dangerous calls and no calls to remove from their concentrate on taking part in.
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