Celtics 110, Grizzlies 105

Game Highlights

Photo of the Game

Hasheem Thabeet hangs over Shelden Williams after Williams corralled a loose ball along the baseline.
Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty

By Marc D'Amico
Celtics.com

Key Moment

When it comes down to a critical possession, everyone knows where the Celtics are going. Up by two with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Celtics went right back to old reliable; the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett pick-and-roll that they had run the previous two possessions. The first two times the play was run, it resulted in a wide open jumper for Kevin Garnett and then a driving layup for Paul Pierce. This time, however, things went a bit haywire.

As Pierce came around Garnett's pick and turned the corner just outside the right elbow, he drew a double-team and spotted KG wide open at his 17-foot sweet spot. Naturally, Pierce rose up and tossed a pass to Garnett, but the ball didn't make it to the intended destination.

Rudy Gay stuck his arm out and deflected the ball, popping it high into the air with four seconds remaining on the shot clock. Ray Allen, who had been spotting up in the right corner, saw the ball fly into the air and sprinted towards it. He caught it near the sideline and immediately began to attack the center of the court. Garnett stuck his hip out for a little help and freed Allen up for a look at the basket, and he cashed in. Allen faded from right to left about a foot behind the 3-point line and drilled the three to put Boston up by five with 17.5 seconds left, throwing a dagger into the upset-minded Grizzlies' hearts.

Key Box Score Line

Once again our Key Moment directly correlates to our Key Box Score Line. Ray Allen hit the biggest shot of the game, but he also quietly has the best game of any of the Celtics players. He finished with 18 points (one shy of Pierce's team-high 19), but also dished out four assists and pulled in four rebounds, two of which were offensive. He made five of his six threes, including the biggest one of the night that helped the Celtics wrap up another road trip sweep and extend their winning streak to 11 games.

Box Score Nuggets

• All five Celtics starters scored at least 13 points but no more than 19.
• Boston racked up 25 assists compared to only 12 turnovers.
• Each team logged 15 points off of the fast break.
• Rasheed Wallace's 15 points matched the output of the entire Grizzlies bench.
• Hasheem Thabeet had four blocks off the bench for Memphis.
• Zach Randolph, who came into the game with the most offensive rebounds in the league, finished with only five boards, three of which were offensive.
• Randolph matched his rebounding total (5) with his turnover total (5).
• Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett combined for 11 fouls in 60 minutes of playing time.
• Each team finished with 36 rebounds.
• Memphis assisted on only 14 of their 42 field goals.
• Jamaal Tinsley played only 13 minutes for the Grizzlies, but his team outscored Boston by seven points while he was on the floor.
• Boston made 10 of their 20 shots from downtown, while Memphis shot only 1-of-13 from behind the arc.

Quote of the Night

Paul Pierce laughs as he explains the most important play of the game: "It's just how we drew it up. Doc (Rivers) said, 'Come off the pick-and-roll, look for Rudy (Gay) to deflect it. It's going to go up in the air... Ray (Allen), you come up with a handoff. Kevin (Garnett), set the pick, and Ray hit the three for the win.' "