Grizzlies at Celtics
Isaiah Thomas enjoyed the highest-scoring game of his career just seven days ago against Memphis and the Boston star looks for an encore performance when the Celtics host the Grizzlies on Tuesday. Thomas scored 44 points in last week's 112-109 overtime victory when he tied his career best of seven 3-pointers and made all 17 of his free-throw attempts.
Thomas is averaging 27 points per game and has scored 20 or more in each of his last 15 outings as he continues to improve upon last season's breakout All-Star campaign. The huge effort against the Grizzlies helped Thomas average 33.3 points and 7.3 assists in a four-game span while winning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. Memphis dropped five of its last eight games and Monday's 112-102 loss to the Orlando Magic was called "a stinker" by Grizzlies coach David Fizdale. Memphis trailed 68-43 at halftime and outscored the Magic by 15 points in the fourth quarter to disguise how lopsided the contest truly was most of the night.
TV: 7:30 p.m. FSN Southeast (Memphis), CSN Northeast (Boston)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (20-13): The lone positive Fizdale could find after Monday's beat down is that his squad doesn't have a long wait to get back on the court. "I'm glad we play right away after getting our butts kicked," Fizdale told reporters. "We don't deserve a day off after that. It's time to get right back to work, and it's a team that you've got to instantly respect walking in." Point guard Mike Conley is averaging 20.5 points on 15-of-25 shooting over the past two games after struggling to a 12.5 average and 14-of-49 shooting in his first four games after his return from a back injury.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (18-13): Boston won five of its last six games and has a Thursday road test looming against the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Thomas is fueling the hot stretch but center Al Horford is beginning to feel more comfortable with his new teammates and he sees both progress and the room to improve when it comes to the Celtics. "There are some things we need to work on but we have the chance, if we keep playing the right way, to keep growing as a group until the end of the year to be in that (top of the East) talk," Horford told reporters. "Right now we're not there yet, but I think we're coming along."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Celtics have won three of the past four meetings after the Grizzlies won the previous five.
2. Memphis SF Chandler Parsons was scoreless in 12 minutes against Orlando and is 3-of-16 shooting in three games since returning from a knee injury.
3. Thomas is just 7-of-32 from 3-point range over the past three games after sinking seven against the Grizzlies.