Celtics deny the Grizzlies
Memphis needs to defeat Bucks to get into play-in game
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and the Boston Celtics ran past Memphis 122-107 on Tuesday, putting the Grizzlies in further danger of missing the playoffs.
The Grizzlies missed another chance to guarantee themselves a spot in the Western Conference play-in series, and fell out of eighth place as Portland beats Dallas later Tuesday.
Boston (48-23), which has already locked up the Eastern Conference’s third seed, won its fourth straight.
Gordon Hayward added 19 points and five assists.
Memphis (33-39) lost for the sixth time in seven games since the restart. Ja Morant finished with 26 points and 13 assists.
The Grizzlies arrived in Florida with 31/2-game cushion over their nearest competitor for the eighth seed in the West. But their struggles have guaranteed the need for a play-in game for that final spot with Portland, San Antonio and Phoenix all still in contention.
Memphis will head into its final seeding game against Milwaukee on Thursday needing a win to earn a place in the play-in game. The team that finishes ninth would have to beat the eighth-place team twice.
Nets 108, Magic 96: Jeremiah Martin and Timothe Luwawu-cabarrot each scored 24 points, and Brooklyn beat Orlando. The Nets improved to 5-2 in the restart with their third straight victory. With the Nets locked into the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Magic eighth, the teams went with limited rosters while getting players extra rest. Brooklyn suited up only nine players and Orlando used 10.
Suns 130, 76ers 117: Devin Booker scored 35 points and Phoenix protected its playoff hopes by beating Philadelphia to remain undefeated in the NBA restart. Booker became the Suns’ career leader with his 91st 30-point game, breaking a tie with Walter Davis. Mikal Bridges added 24 points and Ricky Rubio had 16 points with 10 assists for the Suns, who began the day only one game behind eighthplace Memphis in the Western Conference playoff race. Spurs 123, rockets 105: The Spurs aren’t out of it yet.
Keldon Johnson had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and San Antonio kept alive its chances of becoming the first team in NBA history to make 23 consecutive playoff appearances. San Antonio has won three straight and five out of seven since arriving in the Florida bubble. Demar Derozan added 23 points. Jakob Poeltl finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Trail blazers 134, Mavericks 131: Damian Lillard scored 61 points and made nine 3-pointers, willing Portland to a victory over Dallas that moved the Trail Blazers into eighth place in the Western Conference. The Blazers will clinch a spot in the play-in series with a win Thursday against Brooklyn.
Notes: There will be an NBA Bubble MVP. The league announced that there will be an All-seeding Games Team and a Player of the Seeding Games, honoring the best performers from the seeding games that started July 30 and will conclude Friday. The awards will be announced Saturday afternoon, prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference play-in series . ... Tom Thibodeau made the first addition to his Knicks coaching staff, hiring Kenny Payne as an assistant. Payne has spent the last 10 years at Kentucky, where he has been John Calipari’s associate head coach since 2014. He was part of the staff that won the 2012 national championship and won its first 38 games in 2014-15.