The shorthanded Boston Celtics were unable to string together their second straight win Monday night as they fell in overtime to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Already without Kemba Walker (left knee injury management)Ā and Tristan Thompson (health and safety protocols) on the second night of a back-to-back, the C's also ruled out star Jayson Tatum (illness) shortly before tip-off. Jeff Teague and Semi Ojeleye were thrown into the starting lineup as a result.
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Tatum and Walker's absences forced Jaylen Brown to carry a significant load, and he did what he could to keep the Celtics in the game. He finished with 27 points (11-for-24 shooting) as well as nine reboundsĀ and five assists.
Here are three quick observations from Boston's 132-126 loss, which brings them back under .500 (21-22) on the season:
1. Defense and free throws cost C's ... again
To say the Celtics struggled to contain the Grizzlies inside would be an understatement. Memphis overpowered the C's with a whopping 80 points in the paint. It's hard to win games playing defense like that, and it's been a trend for Boston all season long. ItĀ now has allowed 107 or more points in 14Ā of itsĀ last 15 games.
The Celtics also were dominated on the glass,Ā allowingĀ 17 offensive rebounds getting outrebounded by the Grizzlies, 54-43. JonasĀ Valanciunas pulled down 19Ā of those boards for Memphis (seven offensive).
Another alarming trend for the C's has been -- and continues to be -- their free-throw shooting. They were 62.5 percent from the charity stripe on Monday night (15-for-24). The Grizzlies weren't a ton better (10-for-15), but these missed opportunities really cost the Celtics in this loss, as well asĀ a number of previous losses this season.
The C's now areĀ 1-10 on the campaign when they shoot less than 69 percent from the free-throw line.
2. Where has this Jeff Teague been?
Teague stepped up in a starting role and produced his best game as a Celtic. The veteran guard ended up with a season-high 26 points (10-for-12 from the field) to go with six assists.
Teague also came up with a couple of clutch plays in overtime, but it wasn't enough to propel his team to victory. Still, this was an encouraging sign for a Celtics team that really needs all the help it can get right now from its supporting cast.
3. Ja Morant is a freak
You probably already knew this, but it's still worth mentioning after Monday night's performance. Morant was a huge thorn in the Celtics' side all game long and provided plenty of "wow" moments in the process.
Exhibit A: This left-handed finish on the alley-oop.
Exhibit B: This ridiculous sequence.
Yeah, he's special.
Morant finished with 29 points on 12-of-25 shooting with nine assists and five rebounds. The 21-year-old is averaging 19 points and 7.4 assistsĀ on the season.
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Things won't get any easier for the Celtics this week. Next up are two meetings with the Milwaukee Bucks, with the first game set for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.