Retooled Boston dismantles Memphis in NBA preseason clash

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The new-look Boston Celtics showed a preview of their regular-season strength after crushing the Memphis Grizzlies, 121-103, in the ongoing NBA preseason games on Oct. 9, 2025, at the FedExForum in Tennessee.

Without the presence of the injured Jayson Tatum and newly acquired floor general Anfernee Simons, the Celtics debuted Chris Boucher—one of their offseason acquisitions—as the team’s starting power forward alongside veteran Xavier Tillman in the middle.

Despite playing in their first preseason game as a newly formed unit, the Celtics got off to a hot start, courtesy of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White’s early offensive punch.

All Boston needed was a perfect closeout performance at the end of the opener to build a 12-point lead, 35-23, to steal the momentum and take control of the tempo until the final buzzer sounded.

The Grizzlies never trimmed their deficit to single digits after trailing by 12 points heading into the second frame, receiving an overwhelming second-quarter surge from the Celtics, 33-22.

Despite an early explosion from Jaylen Wells, the Grizzlies failed to sustain their waxing-hot start as the Celtics ran them down in the final four minutes of the third quarter, which extended their biggest lead of the game to as much as 29 points.

Memphis won the fourth-quarter battle, outscoring the Celtics by nine points, 31-22, but the enormous lead they needed to cut down prevented the Western Conference team from pulling off the massive comeback.

In his first game wearing the green threads, Boucher immediately made an impact, scoring 11 points alongside four rebounds, a steal, and a block.

Luka Garza, an expected key piece to head coach Joe Mazzulla’s rotation when the regular season begins, capped off the win with an impressive double-double effort of 10 markers and 10 boards.

Leading the way for the Celtics was superstar Brown, who shot an efficient 3-of-6 from the three-point line en route to a 21-point outing, while White added 16 points and 10 assists.

Boston will look to maintain its firepower on Oct. 11 against the Toronto Raptors, while the Grizzlies aim to bounce back on Oct. 12 against the Atlanta Hawks.