Jayson Tatum scored 29 points as the Boston Celtics ran past Memphis 122-107 on Tuesday, putting the Grizzlies in further danger of missing the playoffs.
The Grizzlies missed another chance to guarantee themselves a spot in the Western Conference play-in series and fell out of eighth place after the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Dallas Mavericks later on Tuesday.
Boston (48-23), who have already locked up the Eastern Conference’s third seed, won their fourth straight. Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker each added 19 points. The Celtics assisted on 29 of their 44 made baskets.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Walker said they are in a good place with the playoffs about a week away.
“I think we’re pretty close to being ready, especially after tonight,” he said. “We’ve definitely come a long way. We’re jelling really well. We’re having fun. Competing at a very high level. I think we’re feeling pretty good right now.”
Coach Brad Stevens agreed that the trajectory is good.
“Hopefully we can just keep getting better,” Stevens said. “The way the ball has been moving has been good. The way guys are covering for one another, but we know that we’ve got less than a week before we open a playoff series. So all of it better be getting good.”
Memphis (33-39) lost for the sixth time in seven games since the restart. Ja Morant finished with 26 points and 13 assists. He also attempted a career-high 15 free throws. His previous high was 11.
Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 point and 10 rebounds.
The Grizzlies arrived in Florida with a 3.5-game cushion over their nearest competitor for the eighth seed in the West, but their struggles have guaranteed the need for a play-in game for that final spot with Portland, the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns all still in contention.
Memphis head into their final seeding game against the Milwaukee Bucks today needing a win to earn a place in the play-in game.
The team who finish ninth would have to beat the eighth-place team twice.
Morant said their attitude remains the same as when the season restarted.
“I feel like every game we play it’s the underdog,” he said.
“We were projected to be 27th this year and we here. So that’s how we’ve been attacking every game. I feel like our next game won’t be no different,” he said.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo became fed up with the pushing and shoving, the normally mild-mannered Bucks star losing his cool and being ejected in the second quarter of Milwaukee’s 126-113 win over the Washington Wizards after he headbutted Moritz Wagner.
Wagner took a charge from Antetokounmpo, who did not like the call in what was a chippy game early on.
During a break in the action with Milwaukee challenging the call, Antetokounmpo approached Wagner on the way to the bench and started jabbering at him before headbutting him and drawing the ejection.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said that the tension had been building all game between the teams.
“This is nothing new,” Budenholzer said. “Giannis has been dealing with this for a long time. He is the MVP. He normally is phenomenal and today was a slip-up. In some ways it could be one of the best things that happened today as a learning moment. We will all remember that we have to keep our cool — players and coaches.”
“He was fed up,” teammate Sterling Brown said of Antetokounmpo. “There was a lot of dirty cheap shots that come his way. And he reacted, [but] he gets a lot of cheap shots and garbage plays that come his way.”
In other games on Tuesday, it was:
‧ Magic 96, Nets 108
‧ Spurs 123, Rockets 105
‧ 76ers 117, Suns 130
‧ Mavericks 131, Trail Blazers 134
‧ Kings 112, Pelicans 106
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