At one point this season the Celtics were a below .500 team at home searching for answers. They have since figured it out. Boston can set a record by winning its 14th consecutive game at TD Garden, breaking a tie with the 2008-09 squad that won 62 regular season games and earned the No. 2 seed in the East.
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SCHEDULING
It’s hard to get a grasp on this Memphis team. Roughly four months since coach Dave Joerger declared that his team was old and slow, it’s a dramatically new day. And one that has brought about mixed results. The Grizzlies had been hot over a nine-game stretch leading up to Sunday’s game with Phoenix. They were 7-2 SU and ATS in that span, but a closer look leaves us wondering if they are as good as the record indicates. The Griz took advantage of a soft schedule, defeating the Lakers twice, Brooklyn, Minnesota, Denver, Sacramento and Utah – teams all currently below .500. One of their losses was to East bad boy Toronto, so that’s excusable. But losing at home to Phoenix on Sunday night isn’t. And that followed a loss to the Suns the week before.
With a chance to see how they match up with the East’s best, the Celtics took a nosedive, losing to the Cavaliers 120-103 on Saturday night. Now the C’s have three full days off as they stew over what might have been and await the arrival of the Grizzlies. The trip to Cleveland came after Boston had won five in a row at home and breaks up the seven-game homestand. The Celtics play just two games over the next nine days, and is at the end of a home-heavy run. It’s quite the luxury for an NBA team.
INJURIES
The Grizzlies got a little more bad news on the injury front when center Chris Andersen left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. His status for the upcoming road trip is in doubt. Marc Gasol is done for the year with a foot injury while guards Tony Allen and Jordan Adams are out for an indefinite period of time with knee injuries. Brandan Wright is also shelved with knee injury.
The biggest benefactor of the C’s stretch of inactivity could be forward Kelly Olynyk. He’s working his way back from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since Feb. 10 and might soon be able to increase his basketball activities.
KEY MATCHUP
With the Grizzlies minus their top backcourt defender in Tony Allen and having a big hole in the middle with Gasol out, Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas could have a big night. Thomas put up 27 points on 9 of 15 shooting against the Cavs on Saturday, attacking the middle of the defense with his fearless drives to the hoop. Always considered undersized at 5-foot-9, as he is generously listed by the Celtics, Thomas has used that as motivation to become one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. Over the last three games, the diminutive point guard is averaging just under 30 points a game while knocking down 58 percent of his field goals and nearly 53 percent of his three-point attempts. Thomas has been the sparkplug offensively for the Celtics and continues to amaze teammates and others around the league with his ability to attack the paint and score among the bigs. This also allows him assist opportunities to the tune of 6.7 per game.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Memphis has redesigned its look since the deadline and is far from what we’re used to seeing. The drastic makeover has changed the starting lineup and rotations off the bench, leaving coach Joerger to say he doesn’t know what to expect from his new roster. Gasol is lost for the season while vets Jeff Green and Courtney Lee were traded for unproven talent in P.J. Hairston and Lance Stephenson. The Griz were able to secure seven wins in 10 games prior to their road trip, but all the wins came against sub .500 teams and two losses were to Phoenix. It’s been kind of a head scratcher for Memphis and one that is likely to get worse against more formidable teams. A 13-game home winning streak where they’ve gone 10-3 ATS, has vaulted the Celtics to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, making Boston one of the best in the NBA.
Boston 109, Memphis 101
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