Derrick White (#9) of the Boston Celtics holds the ball in the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, February 12, 2023. /CFP
The Boston Celtics beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-108 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Sunday, securing their fourth straight win.
Eight Celtics players scored in double digits, led by Derrick White's 23 points and 10 assists. White, Sam Hauser, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard and Mike Muscala combined shot 20-for-39 from downtown, making integral contributions to the team's victory, especially when their ace Jayson Tatum underperformed with only 16 points.
Jayton Tatum (#0) of the Boston Celtics draws a foul by Jaren Jackson Jr. (#13) of the Memphis Grizzlies in the game at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, February 12, 2023. /CFP
Having missed 13 of his 16 field goals (FGs) in Sunday's game, Tatum scored most of his points at the free throw line, where he walked 12 times. The Grizzlies didn't have many on their roster to match 2.03-meter-tall Tatum in size, but most of their defenders were quick enough to follow him in penetration and strong enough to disrupt his rhythm of attack.
The Grizzlies' back-court core Ja Morant played better than Tatum but failed to maintain his regular offensive production with 25 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Morant was not focused enough during most of his time on the court. His biggest highlight happened in the third quarter when he kept targeting Muscala for mismatch advantage. Morant had 11 points, four rebounds and five assists in this quarter alone, leading the Grizzlies to launch a 33-21 rally.
Ja Morant (R) of the Memphis Grizzlies drives toward the rim in the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, February 12, 2023. /CFP
The Celtics entered the final quarter with only a one-point lead (82-81). While Tatum continued to struggle, White and Horford stood out to shoulder the team's offensive duties by combining to score 21 points. Robert Williams III and Grant Williams grabbed a total of 11 rebounds in this quarter alone, shutting down their opponents' efforts for second-chance attacks.
Luke Kennard made his debut for the Grizzlies on Sunday, but his performance was hardly satisfactory. The team is among the bottom 10 in both 3-point rate (34.4 percent) and production (11.2 per game) and counted on him to improve their spacing. Nonetheless, Kennard, who averaged 44.7 percent in 3-point shooting this season, went 1-for-2 behind the arc in the game in about 21 minutes. It will take him more time to build coordination with his teammates.
Jakob Poeltl (#19) of the Toronto Raptors blocks a shot by Bojan Bogdanovic (#44) of the Detroit Pistons in the game at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, February 12, 2023. /CFP
In the other game on Sunday, the Toronto Raptors edged the Detroit Pistons 119-118 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
To many people's surprise, the Raptors didn't trade Paskal Siakam or OG Anunoby for a complete rebuild. Instead, the team acquired Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs to have a full-size center to fill in the paint.
In his debut as a Raptor on Sunday, Poeltl got six points, five rebounds, two steals and three blocks in 25 minutes before being fouled out in the fourth quarter, during which three fouls were called on him. These numbers are not impressive, but Poeltl's defensive contribution to the team is solid.
Bojan Bogdanovic (#44) of the Detroit Pistons drives toward the rim in the game against the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, February 12, 2023. /CFP
When Poeltl committed his sixth personal foul at 2:32 in the fourth quarter, the Raptors still led by 11 points (110-99). After he was removed from the court, the team suffered a 19-9 during the rest of the time. If Precious Achiuwa hadn't made his second free throw to extend their lead to four points (119-115) with 4.4 seconds left, Jaden Ivey would have tied the score and dragged the competition into overtime by making a 3-pointer in the following possession.
Bojan Bogdanovic stayed in the Pistons in the end. He scored game-high 33 points on Sunday and nearly reversed the situation for the team with the joint efforts of his and Ivey in the final period.