National Basketball Association
Memphis 127, Boston 121
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 7, 2024
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Officials: #74 Curtis Blair, #34 Kevin Cutler, #28 Mousa Dagher
Attendance: 19156

Ja Morant had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the visiting Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Celtics 127-121 on Saturday night and earn their first win in Boston since 2013.

The victory ended Boston's six-game winning streak against Memphis. The Grizzlies had lost 16 of their past 17 games against the Celtics, with nine of those setbacks coming in Boston.

Boston led 103-99, but a 10-0 run handed Memphis a six-point lead with 7:19 to play. The Grizzlies stayed on top after that.

Jaren Jackson Jr. added 27 points, nine rebounds and three steals for the Grizzlies, who went 15 of 33 on 3-point attempts. Jackson scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Jayson Tatum had 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for the Celtics, who shot 18 of 60 from long range. Boston received 23 points from Jrue Holiday and 22 from both Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown.

Boston's Sam Hauser left the game in the first half with right adductor tightness and did not return.

Marcus Smart, who spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Celtics before he was traded to Memphis in a three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, was 1 of 11 from the field and scored three points.

The loss ended Boston's three-game winning streak and its seven-game home winning streak.

A 10-0 run gave Memphis an early 18-8 lead, and the Grizzlies led 31-27 going into the second quarter.

Memphis took a 12-point lead following a Morant basket with 29.8 seconds remaining in the first half and led 66-54 at halftime. The Celtics shot 36 percent from the field in the first two quarters and made only 9 of 31 shots from long range.

Pritchard's 3-pointer capped a 13-3 run that sliced the Memphis lead to 88-86 with 1:37 left in the third quarter, but Boston trailed 94-89 entering the fourth.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Memphis   Boston
Ja Morant 32 Scoring Jrue Holiday 23
Ja Morant 9 Assists Jayson Tatum 9
Jay Huff 9 Rebounds Jayson Tatum 13
Ja Morant 6 Free Throws Made Kristaps Porzingis 4
Desmond Bane 3 Steals Derrick White 3
Jaren Jackson Jr. 4 Blocks Kristaps Porzingis 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Memphis 127 50.0 15-33 18-23 25 52 7 13 13
Boston 121 40.0 18-60 19-28 26 51 7 6 13
Upcoming Games
  • Boston will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Celtics have a W/L % of .737 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Memphis will play their next game on the road against Washington. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .778 after a loss.