MEMPHIS — Two of the Celtics graybeards are picking the perfect time to play their best basketball of the season and it resulted in yet another impressive road win.
Al Horford and Jrue Holiday carried the offense in stretches and the defense stifled the Grizzlies in the second half as the Celtics completed a perfect road trip with a 117-103 win on Monday at FedEx Forum.
It was the first time in franchise history the Celtics finished a six-game road trip undefeated and they can thank the resurgent Horford, who tallied 26 points, and Holiday, who fueled a third-quarter run with his 3-point shooting.
Horford’s points were his most in a regular-season game in more than four years and the most in his second stint with the Celtics. Holiday added 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, nailing 4 of 6 3-pointers.
And finally, Derrick White broke the franchise single-season record for 3-pointers, breaking Isaiah Thomas’s mark of 245. Jayson Tatum also helped out with 25 points and 14 rebounds as Boston improved to a league-best 32-7 on the road.
Tatum scored the Celtics’ final 6 points of the third period and they led, 92-85, Tatum tallied 23 points along with 12 points after three quarters while Horford posted his second 20-plus point game of the season.
The Grizzlies were not the same team with Ja Morant off the floor, and the Celtics capitalized against the Memphis reserves. Holiday, playing his best basketball of the season, knocked down consecutive 3-pointers for a game-high 9-point lead.
The 5-point halftime lead didn’t last long as the Grizzlies began the third period with a 10-0 run in the first 2:24. The Celtics didn’t score their first bucket until a Horford triple at the 9:07 mark. He added another and then a short hook as the Celtics led, 76-73.
Morant canned a pair of threes in the opening minutes of the second period to give Memphis a 39-28 lead as the Celtics continued to struggle with shooting and turnovers.
They rallied but an angry Joe Mazzulla called a timeout after defensive breakdowns led to two Memphis buckets.
Trailing, 48-38, with just over seven minutes left, the Celtics went on an a quick 10-2 run to get close and then continued their surge behind Tatum, Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis.
The defense intensified, trapping Morant and getting stops. Holiday’s bucket gave Boston a 59-57 lead and Porzingis followed with a 3-point play and White then raced to the rim with a follow for a 64-57 margin with a minute left in the half.
Boston ended the period on a 28-13 run with Tatum leading the club with 17 points and Porzingis adding 16.
The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown, who worked out prior to the game but was a scratch along with Luke Kornet, who had an illness. The absence of Kornet allowed Mazzulla to give Xavier Tillman his second start of the season in his return to Memphis.
Tillman was greeted with a warm round of applause when introduced last and his teammates gave him bear hugs as he smiled in appreciation. He played the first 4:09, hit two free throws, missed two 3-pointers, and didn’t play for the rest of the first half.
Cold shooting was the theme in the opening quarter. The Celtics made just 34 percent of their attempts, missed 11 3-pointers, and committed five turnovers as they trailed, 32-25, after the period.
Boston jumped out to an 11-5 lead but watched as the Grizzlies countered with a 24-12 run, sparked by Jaren Jackson Jr. and Morant. The Grizzlies also won the early 3-point battle by nailing 5 of 11 in the first period, with a pair by Jackson.
Memphis entered its second game with interim coach Tuomas Iilsalo, the 42-year first-year assistant who coached in the French pro league last season. The Grizzlies lost their first game under Iisalo on Saturday to the Lakers as he implemented a more wide-open offense with Morant having more ballhandling duties.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
