NBA 2018-19, Hits and Flops: Memphis Grizzlies vs Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics came away with a win at the TD Garden with a scoreline of 122-116 over the struggling Memphis Grizzlies.
The match was tight throughout and despite a 20-point third-quarter outburst by Kyrie Irving, the Memphis Grizzlies refused to go away. Irving scored 28 of his game-high 38 points in the second half.
This was the seventh consecutive victory for the Celtics over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are struggling deeply at the moment, having lost 10 out of their last 11 games. They are now the 14th ranked team in the Western Conference with a 29-26 record. Meanwhile, the Celtics have now won two in a row at home after losing three straight road games. They are the 5th ranked team in the East with a 27-18 record.
Let's have a look at the best and the worst players from the match:
Flop - Marc Gasol:
The former defensive player of the year is having an inconsistent year for the Grizzlies. His form of late is something of a concern for the team.
Marc Gasol struggled inside the paint for the entire night. He finished with a double-double with 11 rebounds and 12 assists but could not help the team with his scoring. He went 1-10 from the field, including 0-4 from the 3PT line for his 4 points in 35 minutes of action. An effort like this from one of your best players was never going to get the Grizzlies to the finish line.
Gasol has been averaging 15 points with 8.4 rebounds per game for the season. But he has been inefficient from the field shooting only 44%. The Grizzlies need a far better performance from their center if they want to mount a run for the playoff spot.