Trending in the wrong direction, the Memphis Grizzlies will attempt to reverse course when they visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Memphis sustained its sixth loss in seven games with a 133-120 setback to the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The loss dropped the Grizzlies’ road record to 1-3.
“We just have to put a full 48 minutes together,” Memphis guard Cam Spencer said. “We think we’re very close to getting on the right path here.”
The game was tied at 30, but the Knicks took control with a 19-0 run that included the final 12 points of the first quarter.
Memphis allowed 77 points in the first half and 114 points through three quarters. New York also scored 33 points off 22 Memphis turnovers.
“The whole team competed really hard,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “We were a little bit undermanned on the boards and in the creation department, and today was about possession game. I thought we had efficiency with our shooting. We were able to create a ton of good looks, but unfortunately the turnovers, but also the fact that it’s very difficult for us with a smaller unit to offensive rebound. … It’s very hard to win a game when you have to outshoot a team like the Knicks.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama each scored 19 points for the Grizzlies. Ja Morant added 16 points and 10 assists but made just 4 for 14 shots from the field and committed eight turnovers.
“Some of them are making a better pass delivering the ball,” Morant said. “The others were driving too much into no-man’s land. I just got to be better. When the defense collapses, kick it to my teammates. Once we started taking care of the ball and we were able to get our defense set, we started rallying back, so we see how much of a factor that is.”
Boston, meanwhile, couldn’t overcome a poor first half offensively in Tuesday’s 102-100 loss at Philadelphia. The Celtics shot 28% from the field through the first 24 minutes and had 41 points at halftime. Boston made more field goals in the third quarter (15) than it did in the first half (14).
The Celtics sank 36 of 92 shots (39.1%) in the game and lost for the fourth time in six outings. Jaylen Brown had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists in the setback. He is averaging a team-high 27.7 points per game.
“Just little stuff throughout the game that we have to be better at,” Brown said. “Tonight was not a good example of that. … Rebounds, layups, transition opportunities — stuff that you just have to take advantage of.”
One positive for Boston was the play of guard Jordan Walsh, who came off the bench to contribute eight points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a career-high 29 minutes.
“Just the effort that he plays with on the defensive end,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “The different ways that he can play-make on the offensive end, whether it’s screening, offensive rebounding, knocking down open shots, which he’s done. So he’s just getting better and better. Gotta keep it up.”
