Recap: Boston vs. Memphis
Sports Network | March 11, 2010
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay led a potent Memphis attack with 28 points, as the Grizzlies' ran their road winning streak to seven games with a convincing 111-91 win over the Celtics.
O.J. Mayo notched 17 points, and Marcus Williams scored 16 off the bench. Zach Randolph returned from a stiff back to add 13 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis, which is riding the longest road winning streak in franchise history and has won four of five overall.
"It's a big game...we're not clouding our brains with the fact that we need to make the playoffs. It's the fact that we are getting better as a team, and the better we get the more wins we get," Gay said.
Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen each scored 17 points for the Celtics, who lost their second in a row following a four-game win streak. Paul Pierce had 14 points and Rasheed Wallace 11.
Memphis rolled to a 27-12 lead after 12 minutes and were up 20, 33-13, in the early going of the second after opening with a 6-1 spurt.
The Grizzlies kept pouring it on, as Mike Conley's three-pointer and a Mayo reverse layup to follow made it 43-22 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The margin at halftime saw the Grizzlies' ahead 55-33.
"I think it speaks for itself. They came in and just totally annihilated us, nothing to it. I thought we played hard in spurts but seemed like whatever they threw up it went in," said Boston's Kevin Garnett, who was 3-of-9 from the field for six points.
Boston got its offense on track in the third quarter, nearly matching the output for the first half with a 30-point frame. The C's used a quick 9-0 burst to get within 14 on a Pierce three at the seven-minute mark, but Memphis' lead remained in double digits, 82-63, beginning the final period.
Memphis shot 55 percent from the floor compared with Boston's 43.8-percent effort...The Grizzlies halted a six-game losing streak in this series. Memphis last defeated the Celtics on December 6, 2006...Michael Finley scored 10 points in his second game with the Celtics, while Nate Robinson was scoreless in nearly 15 minutes off the bench...Conley had 12 points, Young scored 11 and Marc Gasol secured 10 boards with seven points and five assists in the win...The Grizzlies' last road loss came at Minnesota on February 6.
