Kyrie Irving helps Celtics pull away to beat Grizzlies
Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) controls the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Andrew Harrison (5) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, in Memphis, Tennessee (Sunday in Manila). | AP Photo/Brandon Dill
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kyrie Irving scored 20 points, Jayson Tatum had 19 points and nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 102-93 on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).
Al Horford added 15 points for Boston. The Celtics shot 49 percent, including 14 of 30 (46.7 percent) from outside the arc.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Tyreke Evans added 25 points, and Dillon Brooks had with 14 points, hitting a season-best four 3-pointers.
After Memphis used a 21-point third quarter by Gasol to take a 73-71 lead after three, the Celtics opened the final frame with the first 16 points for an 87-73 lead. That put the game out of reach as Memphis lost its 17th in the last 19.
Gasol got untracked in the early part of the third, scoring 10 points before the midway point of the frame. That pulled Memphis even with the Celtics.
And then Gasol kept scoring, converting 8 of 10 shots and tallying 21 points in the frame.
That helped Memphis take a 73-71 lead heading to the fourth. But the Grizzlies couldn’t maintain the momentum missing its first seven shots as Boston rebuilt the lead to double digits.
The Celtics shot well early, hanging around 60 percent through the early stages of the second quarter. That, combined with missing only two of their first seven shots from outside the arc, helped the Boston margin swell to 21 points.
Memphis would make a bit of a dent in the lead, mainly behind its reserves. The Celtics still maintained a 48-40 lead at intermission.
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