With Mike Conley a ghost, Chandler Parsons on ice somewhere and Tyreke Evans nursing a rib injury, Memphis center Marc Gasol found himself surrounded by a cast of scrubs for yet another night.
For a Celtics team that had won its previous two games in somewhat spotty fashion, the opportunity to hit the accelerator for a third straight win was irresistible in a 109-98 win over the Grizzlies Monday night at the Garden.
Kyrie Irving, the lead secure enough that he watched the fourth from the bench, put together quite the line after three quarters — 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-8 from downtown, five assists and six rebounds.