addByline("Marc D'Amico", "Celtics.com", "Marc_DAmico");
MEMPHIS – The Boston Celtics marched into The Grindhouse and out-grinded the Grizzlies.
That’s worth a second mention: The Boston Celtics marched into The Grindhouse and out-grinded the Grizzlies.
Boston’s 112-109 overtime victory over the Grizzlies Tuesday night counts as only one mark in the win column, but it means so much more.
“We grinded with them,” a proud Al Horford stated after the win. “We played on the level that we needed to, and we got it done.”
Not many opponents have been able to say the same when the Grizzlies have played their style of ball at a high level in Memphis.
The FedExForum, one of the NBA’s greatest home court advantages, has become known as The Grindhouse over the years. As was once was described by NBA.com’s Jeff Caplan, the name is derived from “the team’s sweat-and-blood, grit-and-grind style” of play. The Grizzlies grind opponents out in their building with physical, defensive-minded play, and more often than not, that philosophy leads to a victory for Memphis.
It appeared as if such would be the case Tuesday night until Isaiah Thomas caught fire and inspired Boston to flip the switch on its host.
The Celtics were dominated during the first half of the contest, as they were sleepwalking in Memphis. That is the most accurate and concise way to describe it.
Memphis limited Boston to 31 points during the opening half – just six more than the lowest-scoring half in franchise history – on 29.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies scored 45 points to carry a 14-point lead into halftime.
The game was unfolding in the exact fashion the Grizzlies wanted it to, but the Celtics, and in particular head coach Brad Stevens, maintained belief.
“He just said, ‘You guys stay with it and I guarantee you you’ll get hot, you’ll get to scoring,’” Al Horford revealed of Stevens’ halftime message to the team. “And we believed, and we just kept playing.”
Thomas said that he put the onus on himself to turn it up on offense during the second half, and he did exactly that. He played a role in Boston’s first 11 points of the third quarter by scoring eight of his own and assisting on three more.
“The big key was Isaiah set the tone in the third, and that was the biggest difference,” said Horford. “He just got to scoring and he was unstoppable.”
What a perfect adjective to describe Boston’s All-Star point guard.
Thomas scored 36 points during the second half alone, taking his total to a career-high 44 for the night while powering the Celtics back from a 17-point, second-half deficit. Every time Boston needed a bucket, he was there to provide it in one way, shape or form.
“I wasn’t trying to get 40, but I just knew I needed to be a little more aggressive on that end,” Thomas said nonchalantly, “and like I said, my teammates found me and set screens and got me open and I just made shots.”
Many of those shots came from the free-throw line, where Thomas shot a sparkling 17-for-17 on the night. His free throw prowess, coupled with his 7-for-10 performance from long range, allowed him to score his 44 points on a miniscule total of only 16 field goal attempts. He became just the fourth player since the 1983-84 season to reach the 44-point mark while attempting 16 or fewer field goals.
“That’s crazy… that’s crazy,” he told Celtics.com after being notified of the accomplishment, as his patented smile beamed across his face. He later added, “It’s dope. It’s nice, especially with a win.”
The Celtics did, indeed, grab the win, but they needed more than Thomas’ scoring to do so. They also needed to not only match Memphis’ physicality and defense, but to surpass them.
They accomplished both goals.
Boston out-shot, out-rebounded and out-blocked the Grizzlies during the second half and overtime. It’s worth mentioning that Memphis entered the game as the top defensive team and seventh-best rebounding team in the league. Boston one-upped the Grizz in both departments while the game was in the balance.
Jae Crowder called it a “statement game” for the Celtics. Avery Bradley later concurred that the victory was Boston’s most meaningful of the season to date.
Every win counts as one, but this one means so much more. On the back of IT’s sensational career night, the Celtics marched into The Grindhouse and out-grinded the Grizz for their first signature win of the season.
That’s not just any win. That’s a foundational block on which the Celtics can now hang their hard-hats.