NBA: Memphis Grizzlies vs Boston Celtics Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Boston Celtics host the Memphis Grizzlies at the TD Garden without Jaylen Brown. The All-Star forward picked up an ankle injury, and he won’t be able to help his team in the battle against the raging Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. So far, the Cs have been playing well, and are in the spot that directly leads to the playoffs. Though, the race is ongoing, and they need to keep on winning; otherwise, Ime Udoka’s boys could end up in trouble. 

Preview

Memphis Grizzlies (43-20, -130) won the last two games, recovering from back-to-back losses. After beating the Chicago Bulls in Illinois, 116-110, they were better than the San Antonio Spurs at the FedEx Forum, 118-105. It was the 43rd triumph of the year for the Grizzlies, who are third in the West and have a nice chance to attack the Warriors and the second seed. 

Ja Morant was unreal against the Spurs dropping 52 points in 34 minutes of play, shooting 22-for-30 from the field. Morant was the only one from the starting lineup with double-digit scoring numbers. De’Anthony Melton had 15 points and Tyus Jones had 13, both of these guys coming off the bench. 

The Grizzlies had a high overall shooting percentage, 53.9%, and they completely dominated the glass, having 55 boards, compared to the Spurs’ 38.

Boston Celtics (37-27, +110) suffered a great blow with Jaylen Brown’s injury. The 25-year old forward/guard is Boston’s integral part of the team scoring 23.2 points per game with 6.2 boards and an incredible contribution on both ends of the floor. Apart from being a very good attacker, Brown is one of the better defenders in the league.

The Cs have three wins in the past four games, losing only to the Pacers on the road. Their most recent event was at home to the Atlanta Hawks, whom they beat 107-98. This was yet another excellent defensive performance of the boys in green. Atlanta made only seven threes in 31 attempts and had five offensive rebounds.

Tatum had 33 points with eight boards and seven assists. Derrick White and Grant Williams jumped in off the bench scoring 18 points each and replacing Brown, who left the game after only three minutes of play. Marcus Smart was also at a solid level with 16 points and six boards, with four assists. 

Head to Head Games

These teams haven’t met since the start of this campaign. In two matchups last season, we saw both sides taking one victory. The Cs were better at home, 126-107, but the Grizzlies got even in Tennessee, 132-126, after overtime.

Prediction

In our opinion, without Brown, the Cs are at least 20% weaker. After all, he is one of the top ten players in his position in the NBA. Not having him on the floor narrows the possibilities for Udoka, and puts additional pressure on Tatum, who will be monitored much better than usual. The Grizzlies’ offensive potential is unlimited with Morant in the current shape. Brown won’t be able to help, which significantly decreases Boston’s offensive output, so the Grizzlies will have a big edge in this area, and that will be the difference-maker. 

Pick: Grizzlies win

Here is the preview for the Warriors vs. Mavericks game.