Celtics topple Grizzlies

Tony Allen scored 20 points for Boston, which had lost seven of eight entering the game. The Celtics continued to play without Paul Pierce, who has sat out with a left foot injury since December 20.

Delonte West scored 16 points and tallied 11 assists for Boston and Brian Scalabrine scored 16 points as well. Al Jefferson scored 12 points and grabbed nine boards.

Mike Miller and Pau Gasol scored 24 points each for the Grizzlies, who have flourished offensively under interim head coach Tony Barone. Miller also had a career-high 14 assists. Damon Stoudamire scored 17 points and doled out nine assists, and Stromile Swift scored 15 points for the Grizzlies, who had won two of three entering the game.

West hit a three to open the fourth quarter that put the Celtics up 100-90, and Boston was able to keep Memphis at arms length the rest of the way and cruise to the nine-point victory.

A Stoudamire jumper had brought Memphis to within 77-73 with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, but Boston responded with eight straight points, capped by two West free throws that put the Celtics up 85-73 with 5:41 left in the third.

Memphis trailed 97-90 entering the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies started the game in the same up-tempo that has characterized the team under Barone, and an Alexander Johnson dunk put Memphis up 15-8 with 7:42 left in the first quarter. The Celtics cut into the Memphis lead, though, and a Sebastian Telfair jumper with four seconds left brought Boston to within 36-34 entering the second quarter.

The Celtics scored seven straight in the second to jump out in front, with a reverse lay-in by West putting Boston up 49-41 with four and a half minutes left. Memphis heated up at the end of the quarter, and a Stoudamire three with 24 seconds left knotted the game at 58-58 at the half.

Game Notes

Memphis is now 2-2 under Barone...Memphis topped 100 points just six times in 30 games under recently axed head coach Mike Fratello, but have scored 100- plus in all four games under Barone...Boston improved to 2-6 in this current stretch without Pierce.