Celtics finish 2nd in East with win over Grizzlies

Jayson Tatum scored 31 factors, Jaylen Brown added 18 and the Boston Celtics secured the second seed within the East with a 139-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night time within the regular-season finale for each groups.

Al Horford added 13 factors because the Celtics shot near 55% towards the short-handed Grizzlies. With Milwaukee’s loss to Cleveland earlier Sunday, Boston was capable of transfer into second with the victory. Coach Ime Udoka was conscious of the scenario as the sport unfolded and even was maintaining with the Philadelphia 76ers scenario, although a Celtics win assured them of the second seed.

Boston will face the winner of the play-in recreation between Cleveland and Brooklyn.

“We had been fearful about ourselves and getting some guys some reps,” Udoka mentioned.

Santi Aldama led Memphis with 20 factors, and Ziaire Williams completed with 18 factors. John Konchar had his first profession triple-double with 17 factors, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Kyle Anderson scored 16 factors.

“It was fairly neat. It was fairly cool,” Konchar mentioned. “You possibly can thank my teammates for making pictures.”

The groups took completely different approaches to the sport primarily based on their locations within the standings. Memphis was taking part in out the common season having secured the second seed within the Western Convention behind the Phoenix Suns. The Grizzlies sat the majority of their common rotation gamers.

Boston entered in a logjam for the Nos. 2-4 seeds, jockeying for postseason placement with Milwaukee and Philadelphia. That meant all the Celtics’ regulars had been taking part in towards the Grizzlies’ reserves.

And the Memphis makeshift lineup couldn’t hold tempo with the Celtics’ common rotation.

The Celtics steadily constructed the lead within the first half by taking pictures 63%, together with connecting on 11 of twenty-two from exterior the arc. That, coupled with Memphis struggling at 34% present the Celtics with a 72-49 lead at intermission — matching essentially the most factors given up by the Grizzlies in a primary half this season.

The Celtics continued to take care of the lead within the third interval, main 104-79 as Udoka sat the starters for the ultimate quarter.

A lot of the postgame dialogue wasn’t concerning the recreation itself, however fairly wanting ahead to the postseason.

“We’ve achieved a bit of little bit of prep work on Minnesota and the Clippers,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins mentioned of the potential first-round matchup. “Clearly issues have modified because the final time we performed (the Clippers) with Paul George again.”

He added that the plan is “actually simply type of fine-tune what’s our easy recreation plan entering into Recreation 1, that our guys might be assured in.”

Boston got here collectively after it was below .500 in late-January. The Celtics play over the past three months provides them confidence heading into the postseason.

“It’s thrilling,” Horford mentioned. “I don’t know in mid-January if this can be a risk. We’d have settled for like 6 or 5. To be on this place is a testomony to our group.”

LOBBYING FOR JENKINS

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins doesn’t pay a lot consideration to social media however chuckled barely when informed guard Ja Morant was pushing for the Grizzlies chief to be named coach of the yr. “”I don’t see it, however that’s fairly cool,” Jenkins mentioned, including that it could be a “crew award” fairly than particular person recognition of him.

TIP-INS:

Celtics: Nik Stauskas missed his fourth recreation with a proper ankle sprain. … Tatum had 14 factors within the first quarter.He transformed a four-point play late within the first half. … The 72 factors scored within the first half, matched essentially the most scored by Boston in a primary half this season. The Celtics additionally had 72 towards Minnesota on March 27. … C Daniel Theis had 11 factors and matched his season-high in rebounds with 10, the fourth time he has reached that mark.

Grizzlies: G Desmond Bane set a franchise document free of charge throw taking pictures share at 90.4. The earlier document was by O.J. Mayo in 2008-09 marketing campaign. … The harm listing included Steven Adams (left ankle soreness), Dillon Brooks (proper hip soreness), Jaren Jackson Jr. (left thigh soreness), Tyus Jones (left hand soreness) and Ja Morant (administration of proper knee soreness). …Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke had been listed as questionable, and whereas not dominated out, they didn’t play.