Celtics Face Tough Road Test Against High-Energy Grizzlies

Last time the Celtics earned a hard-fought win over the Miami Heat, they followed it up with a stinker, losing on the road to a team that had no business beating them. If the C’s are focused, they won’t let it happen again.

Fresh off a 112-107 win in Miami on Thursday night, the Celtics close out their road trip Saturday with a visit to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz are 4-5 this season and still fighting to break into the top tier out West.

When and Where

Celtics at Grizzlies
Saturday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m. (CSNNE)
FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn.

Head to Head

Last time the Celtics played the Grizzlies, they got booed out of their own building. Despite beating the Grizz three months earlier on the road, they were blown out by 20 points on their home floor on March 10. Rudy Gay went off for 28 points, Memphis shot 55.0 percent as a team, and the visitors waltzed to a 111-91 victory at the TD Garden. The C’s will look for revenge this season after settling for a 1-1 split last year.

Key Matchup

Paul Pierce vs. Rudy Gay
The Grizzlies re-signed Gay this summer to a five-year max deal worth in excess of $82 million. And so far, he’s earning that paycheck and more. Gay is shooting the lights out this season and emerging as not only the Grizzlies’ leader, but one of the dominant scorers in the NBA. Gay makes his living off of draining jump shots, from mid-range and beyond, so Pierce will have to work hard all night to contest shots. He can’t let the Grizzlies’ star have anything easy.

Starting Lineups

Celtics
Point guard: Rajon Rondo
Shooting guard: Ray Allen
Small forward: Paul Pierce
Power forward: Kevin Garnett
Center: Shaquille O’Neal

Grizzlies
Point guard: Mike Conley
Shooting guard: O.J. Mayo
Small forward: Rudy Gay
Power forward: Zach Randolph
Center: Marc Gasol

Stat Sheet

Celtics

• Ray Allen went off for 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting against the Heat on Thursday night. It was his highest-scoring regular-season game since Jan. 11, 2009, when he dropped 36 on the Toronto Raptors.
• Paul Pierce has made 39 of his first 42 free-throw attempts, or 92.9 percent. He’s on pace for the best year of his career from the line.
• Shaquille O’Neal has averaged 23.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game against the Grizzlies in his career.

Grizzlies

• Rudy Gay ranks fourth in the NBA with 25.6 points per game.
• Mike Conley leads the league with 28 steals. The Celtics’ Rajon Rondo is second with 27.
• Zach Randolph is averaging a double-double with 16.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.

Black and Blue

Celtics

• Shaquille O’Neal made his return Thursday from a bruised knee. He started and played 21 minutes.
• Jermaine O’Neal has a sore knee. He returned to Boston on Friday and won’t play Saturday.
• Kendrick Perkins has a torn ACL and will be out until 2011.
• Avery Bradley remains inactive as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery.

Grizzlies

• Zach Randolph missed four games earlier this season with a minor back injury.
• Marc Gasol missed the Grizzlies’ season opener on Oct. 27 with a sprained ankle, but he’s now back and healthy.

Outlook

The Grizzlies’ approach is clear — they’re a high-pace, high-energy team that gets a lot of shots up. Rudy Gay, O.J. May and Mike Conley are all high-volume shooters, and the Celtics’ veterans will have to spend all night chasing them around screens and contesting jumpers. The last thing the C’s want at the end of a tough road trip is another track meet, but in this matchup, they don’t have a choice. Beating Memphis will take 48 minutes of hard work.