From my game preview:
This has to be a circle-the-wagons game. The C’s are coming off an embarrassment of a road trip. The Garden will be buzzing thanks to the long-awaited return of AB. The energy level will be high. I don’t know how they are going to do it, I just know they are going to do it. Celtic pride will be restored… at least for a day.
Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong.
Except for a 4 minute stretch late 1st/early 2nd quarter and a 4 minute stretch midway through the 4th quarter, the Celtics played like a bunch of guys more interested in napping than balling. The result was a 93-83 victory for the Grizzlies.
Avery Bradley had 4 points (2-6 FG) and 1 steal in 20 minutes in his season debut. He was a -12. The highlight of his game came early in the first quarter when Rajon Rondo (11 points, 10 assists) fed him on a backdoor cut to the basket. Bradley’s on the ball defense was solid. Too bad it had little impact on the game.
The Green:
Paul Pierce had 12 points on 4-6 shooting in the 1st quarter.
Doc Rivers might finally be fed up with the inconsistent play of Jeff Green (10 points, 4-5 FG) and Courtney Lee (8 points, 3-4 FG). Green logged just 15 minutes, while Lee played 12. Ironically, they played rather efficiently.
The Gross:
Pierce had 5 points on 2-8 shooting in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters.
Mike Conley and Tony Allen combined for 38 points on 14-23 shooting.
The Celtics cut an 18 point lead down to 6 with 4 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, but… the comeback was thwarted by awful shot selection (what was Rondo thinking with those three pointers?) and two missed FTs by Kevin Garnett.
Greenlights:
Rajon Rondo’s upfake gets Tony Allen to fly by
The Grid:
- Darrell Arthur was 0-for-13 from 3 over the past 4 years. He was 2-3 tonight.
- Jared Sullinger was 1-6 with 6 fouls, yet somehow he managed a team high +10.
- Boston outscored Memphis 38-34 in the paint.
Go ahead, push it.
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