Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, left, congratulates Kyrie Irving after Irving hit a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, left, congratulates Kyrie Irving after Irving hit a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson) Credit: Winslow Townson

Boston — Kyrie Irving scored 20 of his 38 points in the third quarter and the Boston Celtics held off the Memphis Grizzlies, 122-116, on Friday night.

Marcus Smart had 20 points and Al Horford finished with 18 for the Celtics, who have won two straight since a three-game losing streak.

Irving also had 11 assists and seven rebounds for Boston, which beat the Grizzlies for the seventh consecutive time but had to hang on down the stretch. Memphis trailed only 111-108 with 3:13 left, but the Celtics responded with a 10-2 run. A few late 3-pointers by the Grizzlies came too late.

Memphis has lost 10 of 11 overall, and six in a row on the road.

Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 26 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 23, and Marc Gasol had 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

Boston led 96-91 after three, but the pesky Grizzlies would not go away. Conley’s three-point play with 4:53 remaining pulled Memphis to 106-104. Irving finally sealed it when he hit a 3 with 1:22 left to put the Celtics up 118-110.

Jaylen Brown had 12 points and Terry Rozier scored 10 for Boston.

Rozier hit a 3 to start an 11-0 run that put the Celtics up 35-24 after the first quarter. Then he made another from beyond the arc while drawing a foul and converted the four-point play.

The Grizzlies rallied late in the period, tying it 52-all on a layup by JaMychal Green and taking a 62-58 halftime lead on Conley’s layup just before the buzzer.

Notes: Boston’s Aron Baynes had 12 rebounds in his second game back since missing a month with a broken bone in his left hand. … The Celtics turned the ball over seven times in the second period. … Irving was called for a technical with 3:27 left in the third quarter after getting tangled up in front of the Memphis bench with Mack, who also got a technical.

Nets 117, Magic 115

Orlando, Fla. — D’Angelo Russell matched his career high with 40 points and Brooklyn came back from a 21-point deficit.

Russell’s 3-pointer with 27.1 seconds left put the Nets up for the first time since they went ahead 2-0 in the game’s first minute. After missed free throws by both teams left Brooklyn with a two-point lead, Evan Fournier missed a shot in the lane that would have tied it for Orlando.

It was the 16th win in 21 games for the Nets, who made 19 of 46 3-point shots.

Pistons 98, Heat 93

Detroit — Blake Griffin had 32 points and 11 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons overcame an early exit by injured Andre Drummond to beat Miami.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 points for the Heat, but missed badly on an off-balance 3-pointer in the final seconds that could have tied the game.

Detroit led by 16 in the first half and was up 53-39 at halftime, but the Pistons were outscored 30-12 in the third quarter. They rebounded in the fourth and held on.

Bulls Rookie Out 8-12 Weeks

Chicago — The Bulls expect prized rookie center Wendell Carter Jr. to miss eight to 12 weeks because of a left thumb injury.

The team said on Friday that surgery has been recommended for Carter, who was hurt Tuesday against the Lakers.

The No. 7 overall draft pick, Carter averages 10.3 points and 7 rebounds.