Celtics at Grizzlies
After an impressive winning streak playing mostly with a shorthanded, makeshift lineup, the Memphis Grizzlies have started to struggle with a full complement of players. The Grizzlies will try to rebound from an ugly home loss when they host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
Memphis shot a season-low 30.1 percent from the floor in an 82-73 loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday, putting forth their worst offensive output in more than a year in point guard Mike Conley's second game back from a back injury. "Our guys coming back from injury are really out of rhythm," coach David Fizdale told reporters in the wake of his team falling to 0-2 with an 82.5 scoring average since Conley returned. "They're probably coming back sooner than expected, which we know, which means it's really looking rough offensively. The timing is all over the place, even recollection of some of our sets." Meanwhile, the Celtics have gone 2-0 since their point guard Isaiah Thomas came back from a groin injury and opened their three-game road trip with a 105-95 win at Miami on Sunday. Thomas scored 23 points in 28 minutes before being ejected for throwing an elbow.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), FSN Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (15-12): Boston has held opponents to 98.1 points in nine games this month and 91.5 during its two-game winning streak. The defensive surge has the Celtics - who struggled to stop some opponents early on, particularly when center Al Horford was sidelined with a concussion - to 12th in the league in scoring defense (102.3) and seventh in field-goal percentage defense (44.3) entering Monday's action. Horford has six blocked shots and four steals in the last two games and is averaging 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in December.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (18-11): Memphis has also recently welcomed back swingmen Vince Carter and James Ennis, along with forward Zach Randolph, from various injuries and personal leaves while forward Chandler Parsons (knee) is close to a return. One constant in the lineup has been big man Marc Gasol, although he is coming off a difficult performance in the loss on Sunday when he shot 4-for-22 from the floor. Gasol has missed all nine of his 3-point attempts in the two games since Conley came back after going 3-for-3 from long range in the contest prior to the point guard's return.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams entered Monday tied for fourth in the NBA in 3-point percentage defense (33.8).
2. Conley is 5-for-23 from the floor and 1-for-12 from beyond the arc since returning.
3. Memphis has won four straight meetings at home and overcame a 21-point second-half deficit to win 101-98 in the last encounter at FedExForum in January.