Maybe it was fitting that on the night that Marcus Smart played his first game at the Garden as an opponent, the Celtics’ collective performance almost read as an homage to their beloved and (mostly) trusted former teammate.
In Saturday night’s 127-121 loss to the Grizzlies, the Celtics bombed 3s — a record 23 in the first quarter alone, and 60 overall. They mass-produced missed shots, with just 18 makes from long distance, and Jrue Holiday, Smart’s de facto replacement, going 4 for 17. They careened all over the court to the point multiple players appeared to be seriously injured at certain moments, and got caught up in the chaos of playing against a more athletic, feisty, and darned good Memphis team.