Bear Necessities
The Memphis Grizzlies will take on the Boston Celtics for the first time this season in a nationally televised tilt Thursday on TNT and on 92.9 FM ESPN…
The Celtics are one of only two teams the Grizzlies have not played this season (Pacers); the two teams will meet again in their regular season finales on April 10 at Memphis. Memphis led the NBA in scoring average (123.5), rebounds (49.3), rebound differential (+6.6), points in the paint (61.0), second chance points (20.5) during the month of February… The Grizzlies’ scoring average set a monthly club record for points per game. The Grizzlies are looking to snap a seven-game road losing streak in their overall series with the Celtics and win at TD Garden for the first time since Nov. 27, 2013. Ja Morant scored a career-high and franchise-record 52 points on Feb. 28 vs. San Antonio, establishing new franchise records for field goals made (22) and points in the paint (34)… This came one game after setting the single-game franchise scoring record with 46 points on Feb. 26 at Chicago. Ja Morant is the first player to set his team’s single-game scoring record in consecutive games since Tony Campbell did so for Minnesota in 1989 in what were the Timberwolves’ third and fourth games ever as a franchise. Ja Morant has scored 98 points in his last two games, shattering the team’s previous scoring record for a two-game span (Pau Gasol’s 77 points from March 26-28, 2006)… Morant’s scoring totals for his last three games (118), four games (162) and five games (188) all are franchise records also. Ja Morant (22y-200d) is the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 45+ points in consecutive games… The only players to do so while younger are LeBron James, Devin Booker and Walt Bellamy.
Series Records and Current Streaks vs. Opponent (Regular Season)
Overall: 19-31 (Won 1) Road: 9-16 (Lost 7) Last Win: 3/22/21 Last Road Win: 11/27/13
Connections
Grizzlies guards Tyus Jones and assistant coach David McClure and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum played at Duke. Grizzlies assistant coach Vitaly Potapenko appeared in 273 games (120 starts) over parts of four seasons (1998-2002) with the Celtics and averaged 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.9 minutes. Grizzlies Vice President of Basketball Affairs Tayshaun Prince appeared in nine games as a reserve for Boston during the 2014-15 season and averaged 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.0 minutes.
