Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis drives to the basket against Bismack Biyombo, left, and Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies during Sunday’s game in Memphis, Tenn. Brandon Dill/Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 points, including the winning dunk with 1:01 left, as the Boston Celtics held on for a 102-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.
Porzingis’ dunk was followed by a flurry of missed shots, including a 3-pointer by Santi Aldama with 4 seconds left. Memphis got the offensive rebound, but Porzingis blocked a shot at the buzzer – his sixth block of the game – as Boston held on to win its sixth straight.
Jayson Tatum finished with 20 points and nine rebounds and Sam Hauser added 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range for Boston.
Desmond Bane led Memphis with 30 points, while Aldama added a career-high 28 and Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 17.
Memphis, with a makeshift lineup, stayed close through three quarters, but the Celtics maintained the lead much of the game and Porzingis benefited from going against the smaller Memphis lineup. Still, there were seven ties and 18 lead changes.
Memphis, as it has done most of the season, played without key players. Last year’s leading scorer, Ja Morant, is serving a 25-game suspension to start the season. The Memphis frontline has been depleted by a season-ending injury to center Steven Adams, while backup Brandon Clarke is still recovering from an Achilles injury.
The injury report also includes point guard and former Celtic Marcus Smart, who sat out because of a left foot sprain. Smart played his entire career with Boston before an off-season trade landed him in Memphis.
Meanwhile, the Celtics were at full strength, including Jaylen Brown, who was listed as questionable on the pre-game injury report. Brown finished with 12 points.
The Celtics shot 51% in the first half and held Memphis to 38%. Boston led 56-53 lead at the break, even though Hauser was the only Celtics player who made a 3-pointer.
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