Al Horford scored a season-high 26 points as the Boston Celtics surged in the second quarter to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-103 at the FedExForum on Monday, March 31.
It was the second straight loss for Tuomas Iisola, who was named interim head coach of the Grizzlies after Taylor Jenkins was dismissed on Friday, March 28.
“Everyone was feeling each other out in the Laker game, which led to the bad start. Today, guys were locked in from the first moment on,” Iisola said. “It’s hard to win if you don’t put in 48 minutes.”
Boston outscored Memphis in the final three quarters after trailing 32-25 at the end of the first.
Horford scored on his first touch of the game, hitting an open three-pointer on an inbounds pass from Jrue Holiday early in the first quarter. He finished 4 of 6 from beyond the arc and grabbed eight rebounds in 37 minutes. Horford is averaging 8.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 57 games this season.
The Grizzlies outshot Boston, hitting 41 of 92 attempts (44.6%) compared to the Celtics’ 39 of 96 (40.6%). However, Memphis struggled from three-point range, connecting on just 11 of 44 attempts (25%), while Boston hit 21 of 62 (33.9%). The disparity from deep proved to be a decisive factor.
“Boston is constructed in a unique way with their shooters,” Iisola said. “That makes it very difficult to game-plan against them. You have to make choices, and there’s a ton of space that guys have to get to. Horford had an amazing game.”
Holiday also had a strong performance, making 4 of 6 from three-point range en route to 18 points and seven assists.
Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Derrick White contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assists.
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists. All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. posted a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Desmond Bane had 12 points, and Jaylen Wells added 10 points as starters.
Santi Aldama scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench. The third-year player believes the Grizzlies are ready to move past their recent losses and capitalize on what they’ve learned during the transition.
“It’s important for the group,” Aldama said. “We’ve turned a corner. We have to go out and attack it.”
Memphis will host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, April 1, to conclude a back-to-back. A win would secure a playoff spot for the Grizzlies.
Memphis is currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 44-31 record, two games behind the Los Angeles Lakers. The first-place Oklahoma City Thunder hold a 14.5-game lead over second-place Houston.
