BOSTON — The Celtics attempted to make a comeback against the Grizzlies, but they couldn’t find enough stops when it mattered most. The C’s saw their three-game win streak come to an end in a 127-121 loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday at TD Garden. It was also Marcus Smart’s homecoming in his first game back on the parquet since being traded. The C’s dropped to 19-5 while the Grizzlies improved to 16-8.
The Grizzlies came in amped while the Celtics started cold, allowing the visitors to lead the entire first half. While the C’s had a few runs to keep the score close, the Grizzlies carried a 12-point lead into the halftime break. They were efficient on their 3s compared to the Celtics, who shot just 9-for-31 from deep in the first half.
While the Grizzlies had a tough last season due to injuries, this young team came into Saturday’s game hungry. They knew it was Smart’s first game back in Boston, plus the Celtics often get the opposition’s best shot as reigning champs. So the Grizzlies came in looking to make a statement on the road. They succeeded in doing so with the win.
The Grizzlies led for the majority of the game, but the Celtics finally broke through in the fourth quarter for the lead. They got some much-needed strong play from Payton Pritchard off the bench while Jaylen Brown had an efficient night. But the firepower wasn’t enough as the Grizzlies kept scoring to put the pressure on the Celtics to send them to a loss.
Brown finished with 22 points and six assists for the Celtics, while Jayson Tatum had 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Pritchard scored 22 points off the bench. Ja Morant put up 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Grizzlies as his night included a highlight dunk. Jaren Jackson Jr. added another 27 points and nine rebounds as he had a huge fourth quarter.
The Celtics now get a lean stretch after playing five games in the last seven days, partly due to missing out on the NBA Cup quarterfinals. The C’s will play two games in the next 11 days, with their next game coming at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against the Pistons at the Garden. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Memphis:
Comeback falls short: The Celtics have had a busy week with their games, but they still had enough juice to compete with the upstart Grizzlies. The C’s were down by as many as 14 points earlier in the game as the offense didn’t come efficiently. While they took the lead in the fourth quarter, they couldn’t generate enough stops to slow down the Grizzlies. Memphis also shot 15-for-33 on 3s while the makes didn’t come as easy for the Celtics, who were 18-for-60 from deep. The Grizzlies also allowed Jrue Holiday to put up plenty of shots, though the starter wasn’t able to capitalize. Holiday finished with 23 points, but he shot 8-for-26 from the field and 4-for-17 from 3.
Old friend: Of course, part of Saturday’s game was also about Smart, the former Celtic who played the first nine years of his career in Boston. He didn’t get to play against the C’s last season due to injury, so it was the first time he saw the TD Garden court as a player since Game 7 of the 2023 East Finals. It was a struggle of a night offensively for Smart, who finished with three points, two rebounds and two assists on 1-for-11 shooting (1-for-6 on 3s). He showed why he’s a pest defensively, though he only played 19 minutes Saturday. C’s fans also showed him love when he checked into the game with 8:50 left in the first quarter.
Bounce-back night: While Pritchard has continued his run at the Sixth Man of the Year award, it was a forgettable game against the Bucks the night before. He was held scoreless for the first time this season, which came off a five-game streak where he scored at least 19 points in each game. But Saturday was about the reserve guard again. He poured in 22 points and six rebounds, shooting 7-for-12 from the field. The C’s struggled shooting the ball, so his 6-for-11 3-point showing was also huge during their comeback attempt.
Streak snapped: There are unique winning or losing streaks throughout the NBA’s history — Tatum’s win streak over the Grizzlies qualifies there. To start his career, the Celtics star brought in a perfect 13-0 record over Memphis into Saturday’s game. The young Grizzlies knew that as they talked about beating Tatum for the first time since he entered the league. So the Grizzlies were successful in handing the C’s star a loss Saturday.
