Recap: Celtics execute down the stretch, top Grizz 95-92

It was a game that showed just how bright the Celtics’ future might be.

Against one of the NBA’s best squads, the Celts got the coaching, the shooting, and the execution they needed down the stretch to pull out a gritty win, 95-92, over the Memphis Grizzlies.

That was despite the absence of dynamic 6th man Isaiah Thomas, who was forced to sit with the bruised lower back and right elbow he suffered in the Miami game.

The tight game featured 15 ties and 14 lead changes. The Celtics took the lead for good in the final minute on a spectacular 3-point play by Marcus Smart.

For a while it looked like Tony Allen and Mike Conley would lead the Grizzlies to the win, combining for 18 points in the 4th quarter. With 1:47 remaining, the left-handed Conley – who had returned from a 3rd-quarter ankle sprain – flipped up a ridiculous right-hand floater that bounced around and in. That gave Memphis an 88-85 lead, but after a timeout, Jae Crowder swished a 3 to tie it. When an Allen feed got Zach Randolph a 2nd-chance layup, Memphis led by 2. Time out Celtics with 52 ticks left.

That’s when Brad Stevens set up a sweet after-timeout play for Smart to curl off a back pick, collect a lob pass from Evan Turner and lay it in while being fouled. Smart hit the freebie for a 91-90 lead. After a Memphis timeout, Jeff Green’s runner in traffic was deflected by Tyler Zeller. The center got the rebound, was fouled, and made 2 FTs to restore the 3-point lead. Green then muscled in a layup to again cut it to 1.

The Celtics ran the clock down before Avery Bradley buried a clutch 22-footer in Marc Gasol’s face. Boston by 3, 7.9 seconds left.

Needing a 3-pointer to tie, Memphis set up Conley and Boston did not foul to prevent the attempt. But Conley’s shot was wide right, and the Celts knocked away the rebound. Ballgame.

Bradley returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with a left elbow strain and drained a 20-footer to open the night. Mike Conley dropped in Memphis’ first eight points. With Thomas out, Phil Pressey got some rare minutes and made it pay off, hitting a 40-footer at the buzzer. The Cs led 23-18 as Brandon Bass tallied 10 points on 5-7 shooting.

Crowder has been ice cold lately but keeps on firing. His first shots of the night were two missed jumpers and a made trey, all in one possession, thanks to solid offensive rebounding. Green got off the schneid by draining a straightaway 3, but a steal by Pressey and sweet feed by Luigi Datome created a layup and-1 for Crowder. Boston had a small lead almost all first half, until a late 6-0 run by Memphis left it knotted at the break, 39-39. Boston shot just .370 from the field and were only 3-15 from deep, but had 10 2nd-chance points.

After half, Kelly Olynyk started in place of Zeller, and the Canadian hit a trey to trigger a 9-2 run in the middle of the 3rd quarter. Celts led 56-50. Boston continued to play tough, although repeatedly turning the ball over with poor judgment and forcing bounce passes into traffic. Olynyk dropped 9 points in the quarter, including an 18-footer at the buzzer for 64-63 Boston lead.

Back and forth early in the 4th quarter, Jonas Jerebko drained a corner trey for a 3-point lead, which Conley promptly matched to tie it at 77 all. After another 3 by Conley and a layup by Tony Allen, Olynyk’s trey and a circus layup by Smart put Boston up 1. Memphis came back on baskets by Randolph and Allen to lead 86-83 with 2:34 remaining. From there, Boston closed the game by outscoring Memphis 12-6.

The Green:

Former Celtic Jeff Green made his first visit to Boston since being traded to the Grizzlies in January, and was warmly welcomed by the fans. Tyler Zeller wasn’t as kind, blocking Green’s initial shot. Jeff did not enjoy a Rondo-like return, scoring just 11 on 4-13 shooting and missing a key shot in the final minute.

In the 3rd, Smart gave Tony Allen some of his own defensive medicine by completely gumming the veteran’s fast break layup attempt, then winning the jump ball. A minute later he swatted a transition layup by Courtney Lee.

The Gross:

In 15 first-half minutes, Smart didn’t take a shot until 8 seconds before halftime. He had 0 points, 0 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound.

Starters Smart and Turner did not score in the 1st half.

Gigi Datome came down to earth, scoring just 2 point in 10 minutes.

With 6:29 remaining, Smart took a 3 to beat the shot clock, followed his miss and laid in the rebound. Except the refs failed to see the ball hit the rim and took away both the basket and the possession. Brad Stevens and even Mike Gorman were in disbelief.

The Greenlights:

Smart layup and-1 gives Celts late lead

Smart on D, back-to-back blocks

The Grid:

• Largest leads: Boston 8, Memphis 4
• Five Celtics in double figures: Bradley 17, Crowder 16, Olynyk 15, Bass and Zeller, 12 each.
• Free throws: Memphis 13-13, Boston 13-17.
• Thomas may be out for a couple more games.
• Since sitting out an entire season after heart surgery, Jeff Green has played 222 consecutive games.

Box Score