As the Celtics begin their road trip, Boston falls short 132-126 in OT. The Grizzlies played great tonight. They had 9 players score 8 or more points tonight and they destroyed the Celtics on the offensive glass. Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks played great for Memphis. They combined for 53 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. Jonas Valanciunas was dominant tonight, scoring 16 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. For Boston, it was an all around effort from the team. They had 6 players score in double figures and shot 17-35 (48%) from 3. Jaylen Brown had 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists tonight. Grant Williams and Robert Williams each played great off the bench for the Celtics. This is a tough loss for Boston as next up is two straight games against the Bucks who have won 7 straight games
STAR OF THE GAME
Ja Morant was the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft and he has definitely lived up to expectations and then some. After averaging 17.8 PPG in his rookie year, he is averaging 19 PPG this year although his efficiency has dipped. When you have a point guard averaging 19 points and 7 assists per game at the age of 21, your franchise is definitely in good hands. Tonight, Morant had 29 points on 12-25 shooting to go along with 5 rebounds and 9 assists. Ja has a very bright future in this league and tonight he proved just that.
BIGGEST CONCERN
The Boston Celtics gave up 80 points in the paint and 17 offensive rebounds. Those are not great numbers. The Grizzlies got whatever they wanted in the paint. When the Grizzlies have 20 more field goal attempts and only win by 6, that shows you that this was definitely a game Boston should have won. At the end of the 4th quarter and OT, Boston gave up offensive rebound after offensive rebound. That was ultimately one of the biggest reasons they lost. Yes, Boston was without Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum, but that is no excuse for the poor defensive effort given tonight.
SURPRISE CONTRIBUTION
Jeff Teague was out of the rotation in Boston’s win on Sunday. A day later, Jeff Teague was one of the best players on the court. When Jayson Tatum was announced out for tonight’s game, Jeff Teague got the start. After Teague’s play tonight, he made a case to be a consistent member of the rotation. He had 26 points on an extremely efficient 10-12 from the field. He also had 6 assists and was 2-2 from 3. Teague has given Boston some good performances this year, but he has yet to be consistent. Hopefully Jeff can build off of this performance and provide a spark off the bench in future games.
Next Game
At Milwaukee Bucks, Wednesday, March 24th at 4:30 PM
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