Celtics sharp shooters help take down struggling Grizzlies

Payton Pritchard made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 points to propel the Boston Celtics to a 131-95 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

Ten players made at least one 3-pointer for the Celtics, who shot 21 of 51 from behind the 3-point arc.

Derrick White (20), Jaylen Brown (19), Luka Garza (14) and Neemias Queta (13) are the other players who scored in double figures for Boston. Queta also had a game-high eight rebounds.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 18 points. Santi Aldama added 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot for the Grizzlies, who were 32 of 95 from the field (33.7 percent).

Memphis never led and lost for the seventh time in its last eight games. The Grizzlies dropped to 1-4 on the road.

Ja Morant didn't play for the Grizzlies because of right ankle soreness. Morant is averaging 18.9 points, 8.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 11 games this season.

The Celtics led 20-10 following a White basket with 5:31 left in the opening quarter and 31-17 after White made a 3-pointer with 2:48 left in the first, but the Grizzlies trimmed their deficit to five points, 31-26, with a 9-0 spurt. Boston was up 34-26 after one quarter.

A three-point play by Vince Williams Jr. pulled the Grizzlies within three points, 37-34, with 8:02 remaining in the first half, but Boston stretched its lead to 63-43 on a White 3-pointer with 57.8 seconds remaining in the half. The Celtics had a 67-46 advantage at halftime.

Boston held its largest lead of the game when Brown made a free throw that put Boston up 79-48 with 7:58 left in the third, and the Celtics were up 100-74 entering the final 12 minutes.

The Grizzlies trailed 120-83 with 5:01 left.

Each team was playing its second game in as many nights.

--Field Level Media