Irving’s 25 points leads Celtics over Grizzlies
BOSTON — Kyrie Irving scored 25 points in three quarters of work and the Boston Celtics held off the Memphis Grizzlies 109-98 on Monday night.
Boston has won all three of its games coming out of the All-Star break. Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier each added 13 points.
After scoring a basket early in the second quarter, the Grizzlies went nearly eight minutes without a field goal. The Celtics rallied during Memphis’ drought, and used a 22-6 run to increase their lead to 55-30.
Boston led by as many as 28 points in the second half.
JaMychal Green had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Memphis has lost 10 straight games and 10 consecutive on the road. The Grizzlies are also 0-10 on the road this season against the Eastern Conference. They remain the only NBA team with a road victory against the East. Klay Thompson scored 26 points and Stephen Curry had 14 of his 21 in the third quarter, when Golden State ran New York off its home floor. Kevin Durant added 22 points for the Warriors. Anthony Davis scored a season-high 53 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked five shots as New Orleans extended its winning streak to six games with a home victory over Phoenix.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to identify the fan who racially taunted San Antonio guard Patty Mills. Mills is black and from Australia with an Aboriginal heritage. He was at the foul line in the fourth quarter Sunday when a male spectator can be heard on the ABC broadcast twice yelling, “Hey, Jamaica called, they want their bobsledder back!” The Cavaliers said Monday the team is reviewing the matter. The team’s security department might use video footage to help spot the offender.
Three billboards urging LeBron James to leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer as a free agent have been installed along Interstate-480 south of Cleveland. The sequence of signs includes one with the slogan “Complete The Process,” a play on the Sixers’ “Trust The Process” mantra with their young team and a billboard that reads: “#PhillyWantsLeBron.”