Green leads Celtics over Grizzlies
BOSTON -- Gerald Green came off the bench to score a season-high 19 points in less than 19 minutes and the Boston Celtics won for the sixth time in their last seven games, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 113-103 Tuesday night.
Green, in his second tour with the Celtics, had a season-high nine coming into the game but had 10 in the first half. He then scored nine points in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter to help his team stay ahead. The veteran guard was 7-for-10 from the floor, 3-for-5 from 3-point range, grabbed five rebounds and was a plus-12 in a season-high 18:48 of playing time.
Avery Bradley scored 23 points and added seven rebounds and four assists, Isaiah Thomas had 21 points and seven assists and Jae Crowder 17 points as the Celtics, who beat Memphis for the second time in in eight days, raised their home record to 7-6.
Marc Gasol scored 26 points, 16 in the first half, and added nine assists, Zach Randolph came off the bench with 16 points and 10 boards and former Celtic Tony Allen 17 points and eight rebounds for the Grizzlies (18-14).
The Grizzlies, who lost by 10 in Orlando on Monday night, suffered their first loss in nine second halves of back-to backs this season.
The Grizzlies (18-14) were playing without point guard Mike Coney, out with a toe injury, while Chandler Parsons also missed the game as he recovers from knee problems.
Amir Johnson had nine of his 10 rebounds in the first half, while Marcus Smart had 13 points and six assists off the bench and Al Horford 11 points for Boston.
Ahead by three late in the third quarter, the Celtics (19-13) ran off six quick points, the last two coming off a jump ball at the other end. Johnson got the jump from Zach Randolph, the ball going to Smart as Bradley sprinted down the floor. He got the pass and slammed one home to incite the home crowd.
The Celtics used a 15-8 run at the start of the second quarter to go up by 11 and a 7-0 run late in the quarter got the lead up to 13. Memphis scored the last five points of the half to trail by eight at the break.
Bradley had a personal 9-0 run in the first quarter but had only two other points in the half.
NOTES: Memphis G Mike Conley (toe) and F Chandler Parsons (knee) did not play Tuesday. Conley scored 17 points in Monday night's loss in Orlando, while Parsons, on a minutes limit, played 12 minutes in the first half and sat out the second. ... Celtics G Isaiah Thomas on being named Eastern Conference player of the week: "I'm going to just keep going. I know when we're successful as a team, I always say the individual awards and success will always be there. We just keep winning, and all that stuff comes with it. I'm going to continue to do my part and then we've just got to continue to be a pretty good basketball club and I think we can do that." ... Memphis coach David Fizdale on G Vince Carter reaching 1,300 games Monday: "A guy like Vince deserves 1,300 games. He brings great joy to his work every day. It's an honor to have him on the team." ... The Grizzlies host the Oklahoma City Thunder and Western Conference player of the week Russell Westbrook Thursday, while the Celtics are in Cleveland the same night.